TEXT: ABOUT THIS BOOK. 
  'A Resource for Traveller': but which Traveller? 
  The Eperdish Campaign Setting is a detailed background source within the Traveller Role 
  Playing Game universe. While conceived as complimentary part of the Milieu0 environment, 
  the error-ridden T4 rules-set proved both unsuitable and somewhat confusing. Thus the 
  authors drew heavily upon Megatraveller for detail. With the reprinting of the Classic 
  Traveller canon, and the new T5 rules-set, the issues have been further complicated! 
   
  The Eperdish Campaign Setting will provide information specific to the different rules 
  supported in an Appendix. Material for Classic Traveller and Megatraveller is practically 
  interchangeable. Traveller: The New Era will not be supported, nor will GURPS Traveller. 
  There is no intention at present to support T4 beyond the provision of character generation 
  material. As regards T5… we're all waiting.  
  It should be noted that The Eperdish Campaign Setting diverges in a number of places from 
  the canonical Traveller universe, and indeed is conceived at its fullest as a variant time-line. 
  The information contained within this book is drawn from a wide variety of sources and 
  materials, and there is no intention to challenge any copyrights entailed with these sources. 
  Such sources include, but are not limited to, Classic Traveller (Far Future Enterprises), The 
  Megatraveller Rules Set, Megatraveller Rebellion Sourcebook, & Megatraveller Referees 
  Companion, Traveller: The New Era & World Tamers’ Handbook (all GDW), Megatraveller 
  World Builders’ Handbook and Solomani & Aslan (DG), GURPS Traveller (SJG), and Marc 
  Miller’s Traveller (T4), volumes 1-6, 8 & B.  
   
  Beyond Traveller it could conceivably be used with any RPG system. 
   
  About the Authors. 
  Stuart Mousir-Harrison and Mark Saunders are both students at Cranmer Hall, Durham, a 
  Church of England Theological College. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. 
  Portions of this material are Copyright ©1977-1999 Far Future Enterprises. 
   
  This version of The Eperdish Campaign Setting ©04 December 2000 
  
  THE EPERDISH CAMPAIGN SETTING. 
   
  Contents. 
   
   
  About this book. .............................................................................................................1 
  'A Resource for Traveller': but which Traveller?..........................................................................1 
  About the Authors........................................................................................................................1 
   
  The Empty Quarter............................................................................ 5 
   
  Regional Map.................................................................................................................5 
  Outline Chronology of the Eperdish Subsector...............................................................6 
  Background History........................................................................................................8 
  Eufratian History during the Darkest Years.....................................................................9 
  The Real Version.......................................................................................................................10 
   
  The Dishani Combine...................................................................... 11 
   
  A Brief History Of The Combine. ..................................................................................11 
  Dishani Combine Governmental Structure. ..................................................................11 
  An Introduction to the Combine.................................................................................................11 
  Origin .........................................................................................................................................11 
  Governmental Structure. ...........................................................................................................11 
  The Bureaux. .............................................................................................................................12 
  Constituent Members ...................................................................................................13 
  Tripitaka Subsector....................................................................................................................13 
  Eperdish Subsector ...................................................................................................................13 
  Wurenish Subsector ..................................................................................................................14 
  Intelligence and Security Agencies in the Dishani Combine (a selection). ...............................15 
  The Future of the Combine...........................................................................................17 
  Paranoid Expansionism.............................................................................................................17 
  Reform & Metamorphosis..........................................................................................................17 
  The Combine-Confederacy alliance..........................................................................................17 
  Other Possibilities......................................................................................................................18 
  Combine Worlds in Detail.............................................................................................19 
  Augarien. ...................................................................................................................................19 
  Dishanirash................................................................................................................................21 
  Duusgakhar. ..............................................................................................................................23 
  Eufraties.....................................................................................................................................25 
  Miiburesh. ..................................................................................................................................28 
  Mordachus.................................................................................................................................30 
  Skelter........................................................................................................................................34 
   
  The Lameshid Confederacy............................................................ 38 
   
  A Brief History of the Confederacy ...............................................................................38 
  The Confederacy Administration ..................................................................................39 
  Confederacy Aims and Objectives................................................................................42 
  The Imperial Connection. .............................................................................................43 
  The Future of the Confederacy.....................................................................................43 
  The Assertive Confederacy. ......................................................................................................44 
  The Corporate Confederacy......................................................................................................44 
  The Combine-Confederacy alliance..........................................................................................44 
  The Cincopoi Option..................................................................................................................45 
  Confederacy Worlds in Detail. ......................................................................................46 
  Eperdish.....................................................................................................................................46 
  
  Gekarkagushaam ......................................................................................................................50 
  Karaganda .................................................................................................................................55 
  Mamgaashi ................................................................................................................................59 
   
  The Independent & Non-Aligned Worlds....................................... 64 
   
  Independent Worlds in Detail. ......................................................................................64 
  Arzareth. ....................................................................................................................................64 
  Dashlaar ....................................................................................................................................65 
  Largidkush. ................................................................................................................................69 
  Ugigiinaar...................................................................................................................................70 
   
  Other Powers................................................................................... 71 
   
  The Heklarr Dominions.................................................................................................71 
  The Grand Duchies. .....................................................................................................71 
  The Third Imperium......................................................................................................71 
   
  Characters & Player Information.................................................... 72 
   
  Character Types...........................................................................................................72 
  Within the Dishani Combine. .....................................................................................................72 
  Modifications to standard careers.................................................................................72 
  Rules Clarifications.......................................................................................................73 
  Character Generation................................................................................................................73 
  Skills ..........................................................................................................................................73 
  Social Standing in the Dishani Combine.......................................................................74 
  Social Standing Table................................................................................................................75 
  Slang terminology.........................................................................................................75 
  Custom Rules for Dishani campaigning........................................................................76 
  Megatraveller or T4? .................................................................................................................76 
   
  Alien Species................................................................................... 77 
   
  The Bi'ilami...................................................................................................................77 
  Basic Outline .............................................................................................................................77 
  Racial Origins ............................................................................................................................77 
  Physiology .................................................................................................................................77 
  Psychology ................................................................................................................................77 
  Homeworld.................................................................................................................................77 
  History........................................................................................................................................77 
  Society.......................................................................................................................................78 
  Characters .................................................................................................................................78 
  Other..........................................................................................................................................78 
  The Cincopoi................................................................................................................79 
  Racial Origins ............................................................................................................................79 
  Physiology .................................................................................................................................79 
  Psychology ................................................................................................................................80 
  Homeworld.................................................................................................................................80 
  History........................................................................................................................................80 
  Society.......................................................................................................................................81 
  Characters .................................................................................................................................81 
  Other..........................................................................................................................................81 
  The Shegashi...............................................................................................................84 
  Racial Origins ............................................................................................................................84 
  Physiology .................................................................................................................................84 
  Psychology ................................................................................................................................84 
  Homeworld.................................................................................................................................85 
  History........................................................................................................................................85 
  
  Society.......................................................................................................................................85 
  Characters .................................................................................................................................85 
  Other..........................................................................................................................................85 
   
  Further Background Information. .................................................. 86 
   
  Library Data..................................................................................................................86 
  UPP Data for Mukusi Subsector...................................................................................93 
  UPP Data for Tripitaka Subsector.................................................................................94 
  UPP Data for Tschudia Subsector................................................................................95 
  UPP Data for Hebrin Subsector....................................................................................96 
  UPP Data for Marikaad Subsector................................................................................97 
  UPP Data for Eperdish Subsector. ...............................................................................98 
  UPP Data for Wurenish Subsector. ..............................................................................99 
  UPP Data for Chalcis Subsector.................................................................................100 
  Adventure Seeds and Rumours..................................................................................101 
  Faiths and Philosophies. ............................................................................................102 
  Solomani and Terran Faith Groups.........................................................................................102 
  Vilani Faith and Thought Systems...........................................................................................102 
  Working Concepts......................................................................................................104 
  Questions to be addressed.........................................................................................105 
  Names & Other Trivia.................................................................................................106 
  Corporate Identities. ................................................................................................................106 
  Places......................................................................................................................................106 
  People......................................................................................................................................106 
  Planets & Systems. .................................................................................................................106 
  Acronyms.................................................................................................................................106 
  Supplementary Information. .......................................................................................107 
  Dishani Combine members beyond Eperdish.........................................................................107 
   
  Appendix 1: Rules Specific Information. ..................................... 108 
   
  Classic Traveller & Megatraveller...............................................................................108 
  Character Generation Sequences...........................................................................................108 
  T4...............................................................................................................................111 
  Character Generation Sequences...........................................................................................111 
  T5 ...............................................................................................................................114 
   
  Appendix 2: HIWG Statistics for The Empty Quarter.................. 115 
   
  
  The Empty Quarter. 
   
  In the standard Traveller universe The Empty Quarter has remained a quiet backwater 
  throughout much of recorded history. Split in half by the Antares Rift it has been a border 
  region that has existed almost entirely without comment, and never even being incorporated 
  into any of the Domains of the Imperium established by Emperor Artemsus in 4596 (76 
  Imperial). 
  The Eperdish Campaign setting starts in the Eperdish subsector (Empty Quarter M) and 
  deals with subsectors I, J, K, M, N & O of The Empty Quarter, and subsectors L & P of the 
  Antares Sector to Spinward. The UPP data for the systems in the Eperdish and Wurenish 
  subsectors circa 4520 AD (0 Imperial) can be found in the main body of this  book, while the 
  appendix details the worlds in the region as generated by the History of the Imperium 
  Working Group, c.1100 Imperial. The data for Antares is taken (?with amendments) from the 
  T4 First Survey product. 
  REGIONAL MAP. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Mukusi 
  (Antares-L) 
   
   
   
   
  Tripitaka 
  (Empty Quarter-I) 
   
   
   
   
  Tschudia 
  (Empty Quarter-J) 
   
   
   
   
  Hebrin 
  (Empty Quarter-K) 
   
   
   
   
  Marikaad 
  (Antares-P) 
   
   
   
   
  Eperdish 
  (Empty Quarter-M) 
   
   
   
   
  Wurenish 
  (Empty Quarter-N) 
   
   
   
   
  Chalcis 
  (Empty Quarter-O) 
   
  
  OUTLINE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EPERDISH SUBSECTOR. 
  Dates given are in the format of the old Terran standard of AD, followed in parenthesis by 
  dates according to the Imperial Calendar and, after the foundation of the Dishani Combine, 
  Dishani Post Combination dating. All planetary locations are within the Eperdish subsector 
  unless stated otherwise. 
  AD 
  IMPERIAL 
  EVENTS 
  2299 
  -2219 
  Nth Interstellar War ends. Collapse of the Ziru Sirka. 
  2314 
  -2204 
  Start of the Rule of Man (the Second Imperium). 
  2353 
  -2370 
  Terran colonists native to Northwest Europe (Netherlands & France) settle Heuvel (0605) 
  and Augarien (0706) 
  2561 
   
  Colonisation of Duusgakhar by Solomani settlers. 
  2744 
  -1776 
  Collapse of the Rule of Man as an interstellar state. 
  2776 
  -1744 
  Hyamic Sect settle Hyam's Hope (0407). 
  2810 
  -1710 
  Terran regional governorship on Irbicht (0108) liquidates. The Dishanirash Declaration 
  brings the Temporary Governorship (TempGov) into being. 
  2812 
  -1708 
  Slagging of Irbicht (0108). NBC war results in massive loss of life and collapse of 
  organised government and culture. 
  2862 
  -1658 
  Large scale Evacuations of Miibureshi (0302) natives to worlds of the Eufraties Main. 
  2871 
  -1649 
  The Declaration of Assumption incorporates formerly private interests into the TempGov 
  structure. 
  2974 
  -1546 
  Regular communication between Dishani Main and Eufraties Main suspended. 
  2976-
  3511 
  -1544 to  
  -1009 
  Darkest years: Dishanirash (0703) maintains TL9 and keeps only irregular trade links with 
  Shegasha (0702). 
  3000 
  -1520 
  Collapse of known Miibureshi (0302) civilisation. 
  3019-
  3057 
  -1501 to  
  -1463 
  Rout of Gashiimud (0201); bulk of population attempt to settle Ka (0102) or flee to 
  Eufraties (0202) 
  3042 
  -1478 
  First Vargr refugees arrive and settle on Cadbury (0501). 
  3150 
  -1370 
  No human settlement remains on Gashiimud (0201). 
  3189 
  -1331 
  Disaster on Mughamkhiram (0401). 
  3210 
  -1310 
  Majority of population of Lamirgu (0103) enter cryogenic suspension. Planet becomes 
  known as Mordachus. 
  3511 
  -1009 
  Re-contact with Vortigern Prime settlement, Skelter. 
  3564 
  -956 
  Re-contact with Agde (0602). 
  3543 
  -977 
  Dishani missions to Skelter (0803) enclaves establish effective control over the system. 
  3599-
  3615 
  -921 to    
  -905 
  High Marshall Sashaaluske Durshaambimukar transforms TempGov structures. 
  3619 
  -901 
  First use of phrase ‘Dishani Hegemony’. 
  3632 
  -888 
  Foundation of the Irkhash Kiimupan sect (The Path of Revelation) on Dishanirash. 
  3776 
  -744 
  Eufratian scouts re-contact Miibureshi enclave (0302). 
  3781 
  -739 
  First return of 'The Dispossessed' to Miibureshi.  
  3800 
  -720 
  Disastrous Skeltian mission to settle Sami (0704). 
  3941 
  -579 
  Eufratian colonisation mission to Miiburesh (0302). 
  3942 
  -578 
  Grand Duchy squadron attacks Eperdish (0310) 
  3967 
  -553 
  Eperdish re-achieves J1 capacity. 
  3966 
  -554 
  Dishani re-contact with Pharoah (0504) which had dropped to low TL5. 
  3973 
  -547 
  Eperdishi re-contact Imperdagak. 
  3980 
  -540 
  Eperdishi re-contact Gekarkagushaam. 
  3990 
  -530 
  Second Grand Duchies  attack on Eperdish. 
  4015 
  -505 
  Dishani re-achieve TL10. 
  4040 
  -480 
  Official contact re-established between Eufraties Command & Dishani Hegemony. 
  4045 
  -475 
  Susa Concordat signed. Eufraties Command recognises Dishani Hegemony and is 
  granted near-total autonomy. 
  4062 
  -458 
  Irregular trade between Hegemony, Rakamdarmim (0403) and Pharoah (0504). 
  4097 
  -423 
  Rakamdarmim (0403) at TL4 upon re-contact accepts Dishani Hegemony. 
  4111 
  -409 
  Pharoah accepts Dishani Hegemony. 
  4136 
  -384 
  Dishani Resource Scouts contact Augarien (0706). 
  4164 
  -356 
  Full Diplomatic links established between Augarien & Dishani Hegemony. 
  4209 
  -311 
  Augarien & Heuvel (0605) come under Dishani Hegemony. 
  4222 
  -298 
  Dishani regain TL11 
  4257 
  -263 
  Formal establishment of Dishani Combine (year 1 of unofficial timing system, that dated 
  PC - Post Combination.) 
  4304 
  -216 
  Dishani Combine mission settles Sami. 
  4364 
  -156 
  Concerned by the growth of the Dishani Combine, Karaganda (0409) and 
  Gekarkagushaam (0508) ally to form the Lameshid Confederacy. 
  4399 
  -121 
  Creation of the Eufratian Protectorate. 
  4426 
  -94 
  Eufratian/Dishani expedition discover that Ka (0102) is inhabited by an aggressively 
  
  carnivorous sentient race. 
  4431 
  -89 
  Last pulse of Vargr settlers arrives on Vaekodhsu. 
  4453 
  -67 
  Threatened by the perceived expansionistic overtures of the Dishani Combine, (Operation 
  'Purple Flower' ) Mamgaashi (0509) joins the Lameshid Confederacy. 
  4468 
  -52 
  Dishanirash regains TL12. 
  4482 
  -38 
  Accession of the Eufraties Protectorate to the Dishani Combine. 
  4504 
  -16 
  Eperdish (0310) joins the Lameshid Confederacy. 
  4521 
  0 
  Cleon Zhunastu proclaims establishment of the Third Imperium, centred upon Sylea 
  (CORE, 0201). 
   
  Note amendment: Year 0 is 4521, not 4520, amend later dates accordingly 
  
  BACKGROUND HISTORY. 
  Unlike the Spinward Marches, the classic Traveller setting, parts of the Empty Quarter where 
  not only known to the Vilani, but incorporated within the Ziru Sirka, the Grand Empire of 
  Stars. 
  There were two distinct phases of Vilani occupation in the region. For millennia the Vilani 
  people travelled between the stars in vessels that were only capable of Jump-1, and this 
  hindered their expansion. Those worlds accessible via the Mains (J-1 routes) were explored, 
  exploited and settled, or at least exposed to the beginning of this process by c.1500BC While 
  there was a general leakage of technology beyond the Vilani boundaries, the Vilani people 
  themselves did not expand to their greatest extent until the discovery of Jump-2 gave them 
  unquestioned mastery and enabled them to embark upon the 600-year long Consolidation 
  Wars. These wars enabled them to expand, conquer and absorb the worlds that had been 
  beyond their reach, and resulted in the Ziru Sirka, the Grand Empire of Stars, which was 
  founded in 476AD. Even so colonisation and physical expansion formally ended in 521AD. 
  The Eperdish subsector was split by that boundary of expansion. The worlds now known 
  (somewhat ironically) in the Dishani Combine as the New Extents (along with Setu, Nulinad, 
  Irbicht and Largidkush) were known to, settled and exploited by, the early Vilani in the years 
  prior to the discovery of Jump-2. Records exist concerning a system known as 
  Shupraakhaar, probably Eufraties, as early as 1700BC, and there are reliable records 
  detailing the strip mining of Mughamkhiram from 1400B.C. These worlds, and many like 
  them, marked a frontier, which, apart from the occasional, and uncharacteristically bold, 
  venture, remained stable until c.1000AD  
  At the height of Vilani influence, about -3500 (1018AD), the Empty Quarter in general and the 
  Eperdish subsector in particular, marked the trailing border of an ailing state, a stagnant 
  periphery, bent down under the weight of years. There were Vilani settlements and outposts, 
  especially upon the classically Vilani named worlds, foremost of which was Eperdish (0310). 
  It was, however, a backwater, and while the thrusting Solomani in the years of the Rule of 
  Man (-2204 TO -1776) ( ? TO 2744AD) brought a limited amount of 'new blood' into the region 
  the subsector nevertheless remained something of a dead-end. Indeed the border remained 
  unchanged for over seventeen centuries. There was, after all, an area of low stellar density 
  no more than 20 parsecs trailing, and no real need for expansion, especially after the 
  violently xenophobic (but non-expansive) alien pocket empire in the adjacent subsector 
  obtained suitable weaponry in the last years of the Rule of Man. 
  The nearest body to a central government during the Rule of Man was the Governorship 
  based on Irbicht, a high population world that had been an early site of Vilani settlement, and 
  was therefore well developed. As the Interregnum drew on leadership, however, faltered, 
  resulting in bloody internecine power struggles more concerned with theoretical power over 
  distant planets than the well being of the local population. This culminated in the Slagging of 
  Irbicht, the deployment of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons in a fratricidal war 
  among the various factions. As a result the population of Irbicht was all but wiped out and 
  the wider mantle of responsibility was assumed by the senior military command structure in 
  The Quarter, located at a mid-sized naval border installation on the air-less world of 
  Dishanirash. In point of fact the Slagging merely formalised a state of affairs that had existed 
  for several decades. 
  The Combine (and its forerunners) never originally saw itself as a successor to the wider, 
  collapsing Rule of Man, nor laid claim to a future role as a permanent interstellar 
  government. The primary goal was the survival of order and life in the subsector, and as a 
  military junta may take control for the duration of an emergency (and genuinely mean it) so 
  did the body that resulted from the Dishanirash Declaration of 2810AD (-1710). The 
  Temporary Governorship (TempGov) was formed from the co-operation of three major (and 
  several minor) bodies; the Imperial Naval Directorate at Dishani based around the  
  (Solomani) Imperial Naval Research and Development Facility in the system, the local Vilani 
  corporation, Kagekaashaam (with interests in high-tech environmental support systems) and 
  
  the Solomani Vortigern Prime Consortium (a prospecting and resource development group 
  based in the Skelter system). The melding of these three led to the development of the 
  original ruling Directorate on Dishani. Originally each was represented in the Triumvirate, 
  with the Bureau of Transport being headed by a Naval Officer and the two divisions of the 
  Resource Bureau being represented by executives/delegates from Kagekaashaam and 
  Vortigern Prime (Power and Support & Resource Exploitation respectively). 
  Initially the control of the TempGov Directorate was relatively benign and non-interventionist, 
  but worsening conditions, typified by the Evacuations of Miibureshi in 2862AD (-1658) 
  indicated the need for a more centralised regime. Inevitably in a situation of growing 
  desperation and depression, stability was the result of the primarily military oversight and 
  control of policy and government, and the Declaration of Assumption in 2871AD (-1649) was 
  largely expected. Confronted with a much greater need for internal co-operation for survival 
  (and the ability to employ coercion against other systems and organisations to secure vital 
  resources if necessary) most worlds of the Eufraties Main and the Anlanshik Cluster 
  submitted without undue complaint to the authority of the Dishanirash High Marshall and his 
  deputies who constituted the Directorate. Most of the groups that had formerly co-operated 
  with the TempGov were willingly incorporated into its structure but there were a number who 
  were less willing. Smaller (or unluckier) organisations simply had their assets seized 'for the 
  greater interest of the wider interstellar community in the subsector', while others were won 
  over by persuasion. Ultimately few corporations had the resources to survive alone, although 
  the largest dissenter, Sytaëf ApK withdrew as much of its assets as possible to Eperdish 
  (0310) well away from the reach of the TempGov.  
  As the situation worsened and trade and transport faltered provision was made for the 
  survival of the worlds of the Eufraties Main. The TempGov dedicated a sizeable force to the 
  Eufraties system (0202), which proved essential after the capacity to maintain reliable Jump-
  2 connections was lost. The Eufraties Command ensured some measure of support to the 
  failing worlds during the Darkest Years, although regular communication with the Dishani 
  Main was suspended c.2974 (-1546), while Cadbury (0501), an equable world requiring little in 
  the way of external assistance to survive was left to its own devices even earlier. When 
  Vargr refugees, fleeing the troubles and race wars to coreward, arrived from 3042 (-1478) 
  they were welcomed as bearers of technology and were integrated into Cadbarian society 
  with remarkable ease. 
  The other Eufratian worlds were less lucky, and lacking the capacity to evacuate on the 
  same scale as the Miiburesh system, suffered various fates. The majority of the population 
  of Mughamkhiram (0401) was lost in 3189AD after the catastrophic failure of the main life-
  support complex, when the backups had been cannibalised for spare parts. Many natives of 
  Gashiimud (0201) attempted to settle Ka (0102) in a series of ill-equipped and ill-prepared 
  expeditions between 3019AD and 3057AD, while others fled as refugees to Eufraties. All life 
  was extinct on Gashiimud by 3150AD With the assistance of the Eufraties Command, in an 
  attempt to preserve the resources of the main system, many of the inhabitants of Mordachus 
  (0103) chose to enter cold sleep against the chance of revival at a more opportune time, 
  supervised by a skeleton maintenance crew (popularly known as The Graveyard Shift). 
  The TempGov remained the official title for government in the subsector and the surrounding 
  region until the formal establishment of the Dishani Combine in 4257AD, but in common 
  parlance at least the term TempGov (or TG) was replaced by the phrase ‘Dishani 
  Hegemony’ from about 3619AD onwards 
  EUFRATIAN HISTORY DURING THE DARKEST YEARS. 
  At the outset the TempGov delegated as many resources as it judged safe to provide a 
  survival capacity in the Eufraties Main, under the auspices of the Eufraties Command. Even 
  then these resources would have been stretched thin. The Evacuations of Miiburesh, in 
  which millions were removed to Eufraties, sorely stretched the resources, and the panicky 
  rout that ensued from Gashiimud did little to encourage stability or hope among the 
  
  population of the Eufraties Main. Cadbury, for better or worse, had already been left to look 
  after itself, although with the benefit of hindsight many more refugees could have found safe 
  haven there, despite the toll such a passage would inflict upon the hardware of the Eufratian 
  Command.  
  The tragedy of the disaster on Mughamkhiram in 3189AD (-1331) cannot be understated. 
  When the main life-support complex catastrophically failed, the population of the central 
  settlement, in the order of a million men, women and children was doomed to death within 
  twenty-four hours. Two thousand children and teenagers were later revived from the 
  emergency cryogenic suspension berths of Mughamkhiram City, and a further seven 
  thousand individuals evacuated, mainly under steerage conditions, in any space-worthy craft 
  that could be found. Even after the rescue of those in outlying settlements less than ten 
  thousand Mughamkhirami were eventually resettled, out of a population of over a million. 
  When the planet was later resettled Dishani Combine military personnel briefly reconnoitred 
  the former city site before the deep cave complex was not sealed, but destroyed. 
  It is ironic that in the long run the Disaster at Mughamkhiram helped many to survive through 
  the ravages of the darkest years in the Interregnum, since vital ships and equipment were 
  able to remain concentrated on the rest of the concerns of the Eufratian Command. 
  The Real Version. 
  The relations between the RoM naval service on the Eufraties Main and the Anlanshik 
  Cluster had never been particularly good. The Eufraties Command was not so much given 
  resources and autonomy as refused to accept the authority of the Dishanirash facility. Even 
  as the infrastructure around them was crumbling the two parties were contesting for 
  supremacy, both overtly and covertly, separated as they were by the Gidurmu Lamirgu, the 
  neutral zone running between them. 
  The suspension of regular communications in 2974AD between the Dishani Command 
  (styling itself the TempGov) and the Eufraties Command effectively marked Dishanirash's 
  recognition that it had lost the power struggle. Indeed the largest of the Eufraties Command 
  vessels, the Seraphim class frontier cruisers, were the most powerful ships in the region and 
  surpassed Dishanirash's capabilities. Through the years referred to as the Interregnum (by 
  both sides) neither side forgot about the presence, abilities and attitude of the other. The 
  official re-contact in 4040 AD followed a number of years of covert incursions, and the Susa 
  Concordats, although portrayed as a diplomatic victory for the Dishani Combine were in fact 
  a recognition of the impossibility of a military victory at that time.  
  The reason that Cadbury/Vaekodhsu was left pretty much to itself was its outspoken 
  preference for following the example provided by Dishanirash. The Eufraties Command 
  could in no way subdue the world, so it ignored it instead. 
  It was not until the 4380s that the Eufraties Command recognised that it would be better to 
  work within the Combine, and the creation of the Protectorate marked the victory of the 
  Combine. This information, is of course, strictly classified. 
  
  The Dishani Combine. 
   
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMBINE. 
  to be written 
   
  DISHANI COMBINE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE. 
  An Introduction to the Combine. 
  The Combine is a much older institution than its neighbour, the Lameshid Confederacy, and 
  has a much greater influence on the day to day life of the citizens of its member worlds. 
  Each of these subscribes to a number of common treaties or concordats with Dishanirash. 
  Common Dishani standards and institutions apply through all those under its authority. The 
  Combine does not prescribe what forms of government and representation are appropriate 
  to its members, although it does control military issues and advise governments in the 
  pursuit of foreign affairs. Member states are responsible for raising ground, aerospace and 
  system defence forces, with interstellar naval functions being the responsibility of the Naval 
  Bureau. Diplomatic and foreign policy advice is provided through the offices of the Combine 
  Corps of Legates, which are to be found in many major cities.  
  Citizens of these worlds, known as Combinards, all pay at least some degree of tax to the 
  central Dishani authorities (the Combine Profit Tax) and are answerable to the minimum 
  standards of the Combine's Uniform Justice Code, which covers major crimes such as 
  piracy, kidnapping, treason and murder. On each world the Combine law enforcement 
  agency, the maroon-uniformed Ridshumshur (Security Provosts), operate alongside 
  indigenous police forces, while the midnight-blue formal dress uniform of the Combine 
  Legation officers is a common sight in planetary capitals. Member world military forces 
  regularly exercise with ships of the Naval Bureau, while troops of the elite Resource Security 
  Cohort can sometimes be seen guarding important resource and processing facilities. All 
  combinards receive the broadcasts of the Bureaux Communications Channels of the Dishani 
  Worlds' Service, which provides news, education, information and entertainment, free of 
  charge, in addition to local state and private services. 
  Origin 
  The Combine’s formal origins date from 4257AD (-263) and represent the formalisation of the 
  interstellar hegemony of predominantly Dishanirashi interests over the worlds of the Cluster, 
  with significant input from Skelter system. The hegemony itself was the prime successor of 
  the TempGov established after the collapse of the Regional Governorship on Irbicht in 
  <date>. 
  Just as the history of the Dishani Combine is in large part reflected by the history of the 
  subsector in its interaction with the Dishani Hegemony, so do much of the government 
  structure and attitudes stem from these roots, which addressed the difficulties of meeting the 
  daily needs of a technological society in a hostile environment. 
  Governmental Structure. 
  Member worlds' interests are addressed on Dishanirash itself by a number of 
  representatives in proportion to their population and contribution to the Combine, while the 
  major faith groups also have representation, sitting together in the lower assembly of the 
  Combine government, the Conclave of Members. This body has the power to propose laws 
  and offer policy recommendations to the higher tiers of government. Delegates from areas 
  with Protectorate status also sit in the lower assembly, but only with observer status. The 
  Conclave meets four times per year, and a representative's term of office must not exceed 5 
  years without re-approval.  
  The upper assembly, the Conclave of Interests, is composed of a number of delegates from 
  the lower, as well as senior staff of the various bureaux. In addition, in recognition of 
  
  important historical factors, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Dishanirash (the head of the United 
  Slavonic Rite Orthodox Church) or his assigned representative, also holds a seat. This 
  assembly has the same powers as the Conclave of Members, in addition to the power to 
  formulate policy. The upper assembly meets monthly, and there is no theoretical upper limit 
  to a member's term of office. 
  Both Conclaves are served by a number of specialist committees drawn from Combine 
  bureaucracies and member worlds' administrations, aided by special interest groups and 
  external experts. 
  Above the Conclaves is the Triumvirate, an executive council composed of two Marshalls, 
  who assist the High Marshall, the supreme head of the Dishani Combine. All three are 
  usually senior members of the Conclave of Interests, one of whom has often held the top 
  rank in a major bureau. While it is traditional for the Marshalls to submit themselves to the 
  Conclaves for re-approval every 7 years it is not a legal requirement. Constitutionally a 
  Marshall or High Marshall may be censured or removed by sanction of the Conclaves, 
  although this has never been done. Most High Marshalls have remained in power for twenty 
  years or more. 
  The current High Marshall is Helyot Azolt. 
  The Bureaux. 
  There are six major bureaux which comprise government of the Dishani Combine, and 
  several minor ones. 
  The Resource Bureau. 
  Historically the most important Bureau was that in charge of Resources, their management 
  and provision; from the daily supply of life support, power, food and the like. The direct 
  descendent is the Dishani Combine Resource Bureau, of which there are four major 
  Divisions. 
  The Provisioning Division. 
  Charged with the responsibility of the supply of food stuffs. 
  The Utilities Division. 
  Ensuring adequate power, light, water and waste disposal. Sub-divisions also involved with 
  resource re-cycling and reclamation. 
  The Resource Exploitation Division. 
  In charge of the extraction and processing of non-edible raw materials. 
  The Resource Security Cohort. 
  The most-feared arm of the Resource Bureau is its Security division, which is not only 
  responsible for the day to day inspection of sites and resources, but also their acquisition 
  and protection. It is the elite military unit of the Combine (q.v. Imperial Marines), since for a 
  society with few basic resources the procurement of new material has historically been a 
  matter of life and death. To this end the RSC is entirely self-contained and possesses its 
  own interplanetary and interstellar capacity. The mere threat of RSC involvement is usually 
  enough to open resources to exploitation. 
  The former Dishanirash Bureau of Transport has spawned two bureaux of the Combine. 
  During the Interregnum and the years of hegemony all transport off the planet's surface was 
  under direct naval control. 
   
  The former Dishanirash Bureau of Transport has spawned two bureaux of the Combine. 
  During the Interregnum and the years of hegemony all transport off the planet's surface was 
  under direct naval control. 
  
  The Naval Bureau. 
  Charged with both offensive and defensive military actions, but especially the defence of 
  Combine worlds the Naval Bureau models itself primarily upon the former Solomani Naval 
  forces, dating from the Rule of Man, and maintains a formidable array of vessels. This is in 
  part due to the restrictions the Combine places on member worlds, allowing them only 
  ground, aerospace and system defence forces, but not independent planetary navies. 
  The Bureau of Trade and Industry. 
  The BTI is among the newest of the major bureaux, but has a role of major importance after 
  the (historically) recent liberalisation of trade and transport in 4476AD. It not only supervises 
  the newly independent and civilian-based Merchant service, and the ever-increasing number 
  of free traders, but also oversees the licensing and creation of new private enterprises, such 
  as the recently reformed Vortigern Prime.  
  The Bureau of Reconnaissance. 
  This bureau is responsible for exploration, scouting survey and communication activities, 
  and as such parallels the Scout Service of the Imperium in standard Traveller. Its 
  communications roles are not confined merely to the transmission of data and information, 
  but also for broadcast. There is a tradition of rivalry with the Resource Bureau over the 
  tendency of the latter to attempt to be first to locate processable and tradable resources. 
  Although better equipped for the task Reconnaissance tends to lose in power struggles, 
  since it is still perceived as being of lesser importance.  
  The Bureau of Colonisation. 
  Colonisation plays an important part within the population management of the Combine, as 
  the opening up of new spheres for settlement and expansion provides a safety valve against 
  excessive population growth. It is less concerned with 'return' for the Combine, realising that 
  all worlds profit from larger markets, and reduced home population pressure.  
  These two most junior among the major bureaux may reasonably be termed the most 
  progressive arm of the Dishani Combine, and contained a higher proportion of non-
  Dishanirashi combinards than many other bureaux. 
  The Bureau of Internal Affairs. 
  This is probably the most mistrusted of all the instruments of the Combine. The Bureau of 
  Internal Affairs is responsible for the control of much of the day-to-day administration of the 
  Combine and its subjects. The BIA holds a position comparable to that of the Home Office in 
  the United Kingdom (or the State Department in the US?) in being ultimately responsible for 
  much of the structure and management of Dishanirash and Dishanirashi interests. It also 
  holds responsibility for the final say with regards to citizenship and nearly all other internal 
  policies, as well as controlling the Ridshumshur. While the sub-director of the BIA sits openly 
  among the Conclave of Members the Director reports directly to the Triumvirate, that is, of 
  course, when the Director is not himself one of the members. 
  CONSTITUENT MEMBERS 
  Tripitaka Subsector 
  Name  
   
  Location 
  Contribution 
   
  Bhoddoshivata 
  0210 
  Kobe  
   
  0610 
  Eperdish Subsector 
  Name  
   
  Location 
  Contribution 
   
  Mordachus 
   
  (0103), 
  Gashiimud 
   
  (0201), 
  
  Eufraties 
   
  (0202), 
  Miiburesh 
   
  (0302), 
  Shiinukaagi   
  (0304),  
  Raw materials, penal colony 
  Mughamkhiram 
  (0401), 
  Rakamdarmim  
  (0403),  
  Raw materials, luxury agricultural goods. 
  Vaekodhsu 
   
  (0501),  
  Pharoah  
   
  (0504),  
  Financial capital, unskilled labour 
  Duusgakhar 
   
  (0505), 
  Agde   
   
  (0602),  
  Raw pharmaceuticals 
  Murkhabir  
   
  (0603),  
  Heuvel  
   
  (0605),  
  Agricultural goods, military training ground 
  Shegasha  
   
  (0702),  
  Agricultural goods, agricultural labourers 
  Dishanirash   
  (0703),  
  High tech, military resources, ships, trade 
  Sami   
   
  (0704),  
  Raw materials, crystals, ores, furs 
  Augarien  
   
  (0706),  
  Skilled and unskilled labour, esp. colonists 
  Skelter  
   
  (0803).  
  High tech, ships, resources. 
   
  Accorded Protectorate status. 
  Ka 
   
   
  (0102)  
  Research facility 
  Wurenish Subsector 
  Name  
   
  Location 
  Contribution 
   
  Girmargemsabush 
  0102 
  Wurenish 
   
  0103 
  Further ideas: just how does the Combine work? How does Dishanirash retain a large 
  measure of control? 
  Each world subscribes to a number of treaties or concordats which are generally favourable 
  to Dishanirash, and agrees to submit its laws and customs to a number of common 
  measures, in particular the Combine's Uniform Justice Code. At present this only covers 
  major crimes such as piracy, kidnapping, treason and murder. The first two are fairly 
  straightforward; treason is a sticky issue because it relates to treason against the Combine, 
  and as such can generally be applied only to Dishanirash natives and those holding 
  Dishanirash Citizenship. Other offenders fall under the legal codes of their own worlds, 
  although often, thanks to the BIA they might not survive to see trial. Murder cases cause a 
  good degree of confusion, since any appeal or bargaining which reduces the crime to 
  manslaughter or the equivalent can be tried under local, rather than Dishani, law. 
  The most 'convenient' forms of government for the Combine to deal with are bureaucratic, 
  closely followed by dictatorial states, whose leaders can be persuaded (or manipulated) into 
  seeing the 'advantages' of Combine membership. The most difficult cases are the 
  democratic states, where a good deal of propaganda is required now that the interstellar 
  economy is taking off. On most worlds there will be a Combine Legation Office, which 
  represents, effectively the seat of control of the Combine and the appointed Senior 
  Administrator, who will in many cases represent the 'power behind the throne'. 
   
  Factions within the Combine: 
   
  Legitimists (who hold that the Dishani Combine is the only legitimate successor to the 
  Second Imperium) 
   
  Expansionists (who are pushing for expansion, even if only as a way of holding the 
  Combine together as a Hegemony) 
   
  Cohabitationists (who do not regard the Lameshid Confederacy as an enemy to be 
  overcome, but who neither wish for substantial changes among the Combine itself). 
   
  Synthesists (who hold that the way forward lies in joining with the surrounding states, 
  even the Confederacy). Few, however, known as the Radical Synthesists, would advocate 
  
  the incorporation of the Combine into the growing 'Third Imperium'. 
   
  An alternative model splits the factions into the Conservatives and the Reformists. 
  Legitimists and Expansionists tend to be Conservative, although some Expansionists are 
  also allied to the Cohabitationist cause. There is an Ultra-Conservative group who look back 
  to the days of the Dishani Hegemony and wish for tighter control over the other Combine 
  Member states. 
  Cohabitationists and Synthesists tend to be termed among the Reforming group, usually in 
  favour of a relaxation of the control of Dishanirash. Not surprisingly most of these are not 
  natives of Dishanirash, although a sizeable minority are.. The most radical of the Radical 
  Synthesists are the Abolitionists, who advocate the immediate abolition of the Combine, 
  arguing that there is no longer any need for the continuation of the state, now that economic 
  openness has been restored. 
  The Combine has always been predominantly Non-Expansive, and latterly Cohabitationist. 
  The incorporation of the Eufraties Main, properly seen through Dishani eyes was not 
  Expansionist at all, but benign re-integration. 
  The Combine opinion of Operation "Purple Flower". Officially there never was such an 
  operation. However, given the power struggles within the Combine, and the number of 
  bureaux intelligence agencies, who knows?  
  The problem now is that the Combine stands at a cross-roads. Many recognise that it has 
  fulfilled its original aims, but do not clearly see the way ahead. The Combine, if they were to 
  admit it, must evolve. But the real question is over what it becomes. There is a great deal of 
  common history which stands in the way of Abolition or Radical Synthesis, and a large dose 
  of fear of the future among the rest of the Synthesists. The Cohabitationist Faction holds 
  sway at the present, just, but Conservative forces are growing, especially at the heart of the 
  Combine, Dishanirash itself.. 
  Intelligence and Security Agencies in the Dishani Combine (a selection). 
  The Bureaux. 
  Each bureau has a number of intelligence and Security services, of which the following may, 
  or may not, be a representative sample: 
  Resource Bureau. 
  The Field Protection Service operates in the provision of overt and covert policing roles, and 
  has been known to co-operate with the Resource Security Cohort under certain 
  circumstances. 
  Naval Bureau. 
  While most information regarding the Naval Bureau is classified the existence of at least two 
  agencies is known, CNI, the Combine Naval Intelligence and NSB, the Naval Security 
  Branch, responsible for counter-intelligence. The Naval Constabulary exists to provide police 
  functions. 
   
  Bureau of Trade and Industry. 
  Within the Revenue Protection Division, which has responsibility for customs controls and 
  excise duty, Section 5: The Special Circumstances Unit exists for various covert duties. 
  Bureau of Reconnaissance. 
  While the Bureau denies the existence of any specific agencies some would argue that since 
  its entire existence is aimed at intelligence gathering it is an Intelligence Agency. Police 
  operations are usually carried out by the Naval Constabulary, or the CBP (see below). 
   
  Bureau of Colonisation. 
  The Bureau maintains its own police force, the CBP (Colonisation Bureau Police), which is 
  known to co-operate with the Resource Security Cohort on occasion. 
  
  The Bureau of Internal Affairs. 
  Among in its many functions the BIA provides the umbrella under which the Dishani 
  Combine intelligence services operate, as such it controls much of the security apparatus, 
  both overt and covert. This is most obvious through the BIA's control of the law enforcement 
  corps, the Ridshumshur. 
  The BIA has more specialist resources under its aegis, in the form of the Dishani Combine 
  Intelligence Services, which are comprised three divisions, the Office of Data Acquisition 
  (ODA), the Division of Information Analysis (DIA) and the Office of Counter-Intelligence and 
  Security (OCIS). The commonly used acronym DCI is used to refer to all three in the popular 
  media. 
  ODA is primarily concerned with espionage and active information gathering. 
  OCIS is tasked with defeating the attempts of interests and organisations perceived as 
  hostile to the interests of the Combine (such as ConfedInt, and sometimes Sysec and other 
  corporate information gathering networks). 
  DIA not only forms a bridge between the other two divisions but also functions as an 
  information gathering body in its own right, primarily through passive data acquisition, for 
  example intercepting and decoding communications traffic. 
  The Dishani Internal Constabulary. 
  The most feared of all Combine bodies is the elite DIC, the agency that watches the 
  watchers. It is spoken of only in whispers, and does not feature in popular culture at all. If it 
  should be mentioned in the media its existence is denied, shown to be a hoax etc. It's 
  existence cannot be proven, but it is answerable directly to the Triumvirate, and composed 
  of staff drawn from all bureaux, and in many cases still operating covertly within those 
  bureaux. Players should never knowingly come into contact with the DIC, it could be fatal… 
  
  THE FUTURE OF THE COMBINE. 
  Paranoid Expansionism. 
  In the default background at the time when the Imperium was growing the Combine was 
  showing signs of fatigue and stagnation, with an increasingly elderly leadership displaying 
  the traits of conservatism, bordering on reactionary attitudes. Indeed the political 
  commentary Ventari noted that “although the Combine had faced the prospect of evolving 
  and re-inventing itself several times in the past, the leadership of the High Marshall… had all 
  the hallmarks of a regime that had forgotten its origins. Power and control had become the 
  end, rather than the means.” 
  An increasingly paranoid leadership, at exactly the moment when open trading and further 
  economic growth was most preferable, turned to a twin policy of protectionism and 
  expansionism. By 4589AD(69), the newly aggressive Dishani Combine, acting out of 
  irrational fear, held sway over Setu, Nulinad, Largidkush, Dashlaar, Forniss and Ugigiinaar, 
  while not possessing the means to exploit them effectively, or to reform itself into the wider 
  and more open form of government and society that was necessary for the time. An attempt 
  to annexe Hyams by force brought the superior forces of the Imperium into action, resulting 
  in what many historians have described as a rehearsal for the Pacification Campaigns under 
  the Emperor Artemsus. In 4592AD(72), in the face of mounting losses and severe shortages 
  among the populace, many of whom were forcibly drafted in the service of the state, a cabal 
  of junior-ranking military and naval officers seized control of the Dishanirash Naval base. 
  The High Marshall, Ingushlilii Dakinlu, and several of his inner circle died during the 
  upheaval. On 196-72 the new leadership announced an armistice. After intense diplomatic 
  exchanges (and in the wake of major Imperial economic aid) the Combine dissolved in 
  4596AD(76), and joined the Imperium, initially as the Dishani Cultural Region in an 
  acknowledgement of its long-standing identity as a former local power. 
  The Dishani Cultural Region was formally abolished in 4691AD(171) under Emperor Martin I. 
  Reform & Metamorphosis. 
  The changing economic climate, with the development of freer trade, typified by the co-
  operation between the reformed Vortigern Prime and Sytaëf ApK, was the tip of the iceberg 
  when it came to the Combine economic development. A drive for political reform, paralleling 
  the economic changes, and driven by the ideals and attitudes of the worlds of The New 
  Extents, resulted in the appointment in 4573AD(53) of Alfonze-Emun Martch (a native of 
  Eufraties) as the first non-Dishanirashi High Marshal. Internal reform of the Dishani Combine 
  governmental structures, in conjunction with increased contact with other interstellar 
  neighbour states, including the vanguard of Imperial corporations from 4589AD(69), resulted 
  a radical shift of focus from the long-standing primacy of Dishanirash to a more liberal 
  regime. The process of reform opened a new chapter of regional history in 4598AD(78) with 
  the formal creation of The Anlanshik Union and the relocation of governmental functions to 
  the previously unimportant, and therefore neutral Rakamdarmim.  
  Such a metamorphosis could easily allow rapprochement with the Lameshid Confederacy, 
  whether in some form of alliance or even a political amalgamation in the face of Imperial 
  overtures. One possible outcome could be an alliance between the two (see below) or a 
  tighter unity. 
  The Combine-Confederacy alliance.  
  As undesirable as this might seem to many of the more conservative members of the 
  Combine there are long-term possibilities for an alliance with the Confederacy. Conservative 
  factions within the Combine are unlikely to favour such an arrangement while the 
  Confederacy continues to rely on internal goodwill and external paranoia to hold itself 
  together and to shape its identity. However, in the light of the growing influence of Eperdish 
  within the Confederacy, and the increasing liberality of trading between the two power blocs, 
  especially combined with the possibilities outlined above an alliance is a definite possibility. 
  
  Other Possibilities. 
  There are, of course, a number of further directions in which the Combine could develop. 
  They include conflict with an increasingly assertive Confederacy, amalgamation into the 
  Imperium, by amicable, covert or hostile means, or even common cause with Confederacy 
  against Cincopoi expansionism (see also p. ) 
  
  COMBINE WORLDS IN DETAIL. 
  Augarien. 
  Library data: (0706, A86698C-8). Settled by French Solomani during the early years of the 
  Rule of Man the world survived the rigours of the Interregnum remarkably well, primarily due 
  to the wide variety of edible native foodstuffs and relative lack of pathogens and predators. 
  During the darkest years technology in certain spheres dropped to 4, but medical care and 
  food provision never suffered too greatly. Government is traditionally based upon a 
  meritocratic model, run by a professional civil service selected for ability, that has also 
  ossified much of society into a strict caste system, obsessed by proper form and etiquette, 
  so rigid as to be legally mandated. Many years prior to the foundation of the Combine the 
  Dishani began limited interaction with the Augari. This relationship gave rise to two specific 
  diplomatic castes, the Parlers and the Otleers. The former are true diplomats, charged with 
  speaking on behalf of the government, the latter are dedicated to the task of guiding visitors 
  and guests through the complex process of Augarien life, a role combing elements of tour 
  operator and custodian. 
  Since the formation of the Dishani Combine there has been a large flux of Augari emigration 
  to the surrounding worlds, where many emigrants, formal by local standards, but freed of 
  their complex societal bonds, make their living as administrators, chefs (Augarien cuisine is 
  highly valued) and as valued members of the Dishani Combine Bureau of Colonisation. 
  History 
  Like many societies the Augari still reflect attitudes which formed from the charter of the 
  original settlement mission, which was overseen by a Commission of experts each with the 
  responsibility for overseeing different aspects of life. Initially leadership was in the hands of 
  an elected president and council, which reflected the concerns and population of the large 
  numbers of local government units, the Departments. Two major factors have shaped the 
  development of Augarien. 
  The Development of the System Echelon & the Impact of the Mortrouge. 
  The caste-based system reflects in part the unexpected success of the mission, which led to 
  a population explosion. Under natural circumstances such a growth would have been 
  countered by predators and food shortages, but the hospitable nature of the planet, and the 
  lack of pathogens did little to slow the growth.  Increasingly more and more Augari elected to 
  choose life-styles of comfort among the management and less and less chose, or found 
  themselves suited to the maintenance of the more basic needs. However, the growth began 
  to strain the available resources and risk bringing the whole world to a position of perpetual 
  shortages, disruption and eventually anarchy and war. The ultimate solution, settled in 
  <date> was the creation of the caste system to ensure that all the occupations were suitably 
  staffed. At the age of ten each child submits to the Ballot, a process carried out by computer 
  which assigns the life role of each individual. through a combination of chance, the abilities 
  of the individual and the needs of the world. Nevertheless society remained largely 
  unchanged for many years, as there was no need to segregate the echelons and family life 
  functioned as normal until <> years after settlement Augarien was struck by a devastating 
  plague, the Mortrouge. In response to its onslaught quarantine measures were introduced, 
  resulting in communities of the same echelon living together for the years that it took the 
  medics to control the disease.  In the face of the inability of the President and Council to 
  cope the Commission effectively assumed control. It has never relinquished it, and the office 
  of President lapsed without much sorrow hundreds of years ago. 
  Government 
  Government is traditionally based upon a meritocratic model, run by a professional civil 
  service selected for ability 
  
  Corporations 
  Religion 
  As befits a world whose entire cultural pattern is based upon one Solomani culture the 
  religious profile of the system is almost totally monolithic. All Augari are technically members 
  of the Reformed Catholic Church by birth, and a sizeable majority by upbringing, but few 
  possess any real faith. Although there are several religious orders that draw from all the 
  echelons, and from which come a number of priests exhibiting 'real' faith, there are still 
  sizeable number of prêtres (echelon priests) within the church.  
  Crime. 
   
  
  Dishanirash. 
  Library data: (0703, A400A88-C) Unique among the worlds of the subsector Dishanirash never 
  lost its interstellar capacity through the years of the Interregnum, maintaining the ability to 
  manufacture drives to TL9 and repair higher technology ones. Indeed retention of interstellar 
  capacity was essential to the survival of the population, since Dishanirash itself is devoid of 
  planetary water and the system lacks any agricultural capacity beyond tailored fungi and 
  algae. The system hosted a major Solomani naval base, which provided vital resources as 
  the Second Empire collapsed. The survival of capacity is due in no small part to the blending 
  of the Solomani government structure, based upon military ranks, efficiency and obedience 
  with the corporate ethic of Vilani tradition. The resulting power structure is not unlike that of a 
  major corporation, with the various ministries akin to corporate divisions. Only in 'recent 
  years', however, have the competing factions of the Directorate agreed that the conditions 
  are right for the expansion of Dishani affairs into the wider interstellar realm, beyond that 
  simply required for survival. 
  To the casual observer of system statistics or history there is little which would prepare the 
  reader for the role which Dishanirash has played in the region. Although the name is Vilani in 
  origin there is little further evidence for any noteworthy Vilani occupation, coming as it did in 
  the latter stages of Vilani expansion, possibly around 330AD. Given its situation in the middle 
  of a cluster of far more pleasant worlds this is not a particular surprise. It formed a 
  convenient location for a Solomani Naval Base, close enough to provide resources to watch 
  the (quiet) border and far enough from the capital to serve as a Research and Development 
  Facility. In the chaos which followed the collapse of the regional governorship on Irbicht it 
  provided a core of expertise, authority, resources, and military strength to hold the region 
  together. 
  Dishanirash’s history, and the melding of cultures, is reflected in its societal make-up. Its law 
  level of 8 reflects a society shaped by the need for strict enforcement of regulations on a 
  world where life-support is absolutely essential, tempered somewhat by a degree of social 
  conformity which makes harsher measures unnecessary. 
  History 
  Much of Dishanirash’s recent history is the history of the Combine, due entirely to the 
  dominant part played by Dishanirash. 
  Government 
  The similarities between the system government and the Combine government are entirely 
  deliberate, since the latter was modelled largely upon the former. Supreme power is vested 
  in the High Marshall, who is assisted by a number of deputies, the Marshalls. Tradition 
  dictates that there should be two Marshalls, thus forming the Triumvirate. For most of the 
  history of the Combine the Dishanirash ruling Triumvirate has also been the pinnacle of the 
  Combine governmental structure. However, since <date> it has become increasingly 
  common for a non-Dishanirashi (and indeed a non-citizen) to sit in the Triumvirate, 
  necessitating the development of an alternative echelon for the supreme council of 
  Dishanirash. This body, informally known as the Core, never numbers more than 10 and 
  comprises the High Marshall and a number of fellow Marshalls, often drawn from the 
  topmost ranks of the senior bureaux. 
  Below the Core are two further bodies. The most senior is the Dishanirash Council, a 
  selected body drawing from the Bureaux, the Church and other faith groups, business 
  interests and the nobility. Some members of the Council serve in the Dishani Combine’s 
  Conclave of Interests. The second body is  the Citizens’ Chamber. It is composed of 
  Dishanirash citizens elected by the non-citizen (cadet)  population of Dishanirash, with a 
  near universal franchise. 
  
  Corporations 
  For much of its history Dishanirash has imposed strict controls on business and commerce, 
  with the result that it has spawned few large corporations. As the circumstances have 
  changed and the times have improved there has been an increase in corporate activity.  
  Most powerful of the corporations by far is an old name, Vortigern Prime. An umbrella for a 
  number of smaller successful enterprises and thrusting new  groups, the new holding 
  company borrowed heavily from a number of financial institutions throughout the subsector 
  to acquire the prestigious name when the Dishanirash Government sold the rights. VP offers 
  a wide range of products and services, ranging from transport (from the well-established 
  Hengist-Marcos Lines), through financial management (Aesc Aelle) to heavy construction 
  (Horsa). VP has a presence on all worlds in the Combine, and on many worlds beyond the 
  border. Its recent prestigious endeavour, the building of the new orbital starport at 
  Ugigiinaar, jointly with the renowned non-aligned corporation, Sytaëf ApK, and the prospects 
  of further co-operation, have sent its stock values to record heights on the Dishani Stock 
  Exchange. 
  Religion 
  The United Slavonic Rite Orthodox Church is the predominant Terran-derived religious 
  grouping in both the system and in the Combine at large. The Synod of London forms the 
  highest consultative body in the subsector and beyond, with the Ecumenical Patriarch of 
  Dishanirash being accounted as the most senior bishop. Indeed, with the exception of the 
  Reformed Terran Catholic Church, there are virtually no other strands of the Christian faith to 
  be found in-system. Indeed it is technically illegal not to be a member of the Orthodox 
  Church. 
  The most widespread Vilani philosophical system is the Irkhu Mugriima, The Way of Action, 
  although there is a large degree of syncretism. Peculiar to Dishanirash is the existence of 
  the Irkhash Kiimupan (The Path of Revelation) sect. This offshoot of the Irkhu Mugriima, in 
  addition to the common practice of regarding some Christian saints as Shaakamgagi, holds 
  that High Marshall Sashaaluske Durshaambimukar (3599-3615AD) ranks as a sixth 
  Gaakamga, or Paragon. The leadership of the mainline Irkhu Mugriima regards the members 
  of the sect as disreputable at best, but it has such a following that it cannot be eradicated.  
  The Irkhu Mugriima lacks the means to deal with it by force, and anyway the Irkhash 
  Kiimupan are quietly encouraged by the Dishanirash authorities. 
  Crime 
  While petty crimes are common among the densely crowded subterranean cities of 
  Dishanirash (mainly committed by juveniles as a form of rebellion and usually swiftly dealt 
  with) violent crimes such as murder, kidnapping or terrorism are rare. The death penalty is a 
  very real deterrent, combined with a high-level of self-regulatory vigilance from the populace. 
  Advancement is, after all, achieved by actions which benefit the whole community, and 
  preventing the expenditure of resources and loss of life that a shoot-out entails is not only a 
  civic duty but a potential path to advancement. It is ironic, then, that the major criminal 
  behaviour is found among upper-middle and senior echelons of the Bureaux. These are 
  typically crimes of fraud, embezzlement, blackmail and other associated forms of corruption. 
  These offences are handled not by the Ridshumshur (originally the Naval Security Police or 
  Provosts) but on occasion by the elite, and shadowy, DIC (Dishani Internal Constabulary). 
  
  Duusgakhar. 
   (B 446534-9) No Library Data in existence as yet. 
   
  Initial Concepts. 
  Possibly designated as a Reserve World under the governance of the Ziru Sirka. This is 
  presuming that Heuvel and Augarien are somehow more attractive, unless its just the way it 
  was. 
  General Information. 
  Duusgakhar poses something of a conundrum in the fact that while it possesses primitive 
  native life of its own the atmospheric taint is that of an airborne fungus apparently derived 
  from a world much nearer to the core of the former Ziru Sirka. 
  The majority of the population is derived from a Solomani colonial mission which arrived in 
  2561AD, and confined to the continent of Mercia. However, in the intervening years many 
  others have settled on Duusgakhar, either as immigrants joining the main population group, 
  or as “Squatters”. When eventually brought under the overall rule of the government the 
  latter have even less influence than the original settlers or the later immigrants. 
  History 
  Reliable records of Duusgakhar are only available from 2561AD, when the planet was 
  settled by a major colonisation mission drawn from Solomani of primarily English speaking 
  stock. Indeed even today a local dialectal variant of British English (Anglesh), rather than 
  Galanglic, is the official and most widespread language. These records indicate that the 
  world was probably a reserve of some sort during the years of the First Imperium, but no 
  certain information has yet been forthcoming as to the reason for this selection. The mission 
  records describe the colonisation as a joint venture between a number of worlds in the 
  Solomani Rim sector. 
  While much of the population, and the entire governmental structure, is derived from the 
  original colonisation mission, there are still many on Duusgakhar who do not come from this 
  root-stock. 
  The Mass approved membership of the Dishani Combine in <date> 
  The Combine Resources Bureau has the entire continent of Deira on long term lease, 
  together with a sizeable force from the RSC. It is rumoured that Deira serves as a primary 
  training posting. 
  Government 
  The government of Duusgakhar is derived from the structure of the original colonisation 
  missions. The senior official is the Master, usually prefixed by a number, representing the 
  authority of the captain of the original colonisation mission, aided by his deputy, the Echo. 
  Below these posts there is an elite council known as The Mass (probably deriving from the 
  Solomani term Mess, the meeting place of a ship’s crew). The post of Master is hereditary, 
  and primarily ceremonial, while the real power is concentrated in the Echo and the Mass. 
  The Echo is elected from the Mass to serve a term, usually of five years, while the Mass is 
  composed of 200 descendants from the colony ship’s senior officers.  
  Government includes a degree of democracy, but the suffrage is by no means universal. 
  Only the direct descendants of the eldest of the senior officers, traced through the eldest 
  children of each generation are entitled to sit in the Mass (and are members whether they 
  exercise the right or not). Any descendants of the original colonists, traced through either 
  parent, have the right to lobby or appeal to the Mass, or to sit in any of its delegated 
  structures.  
  
  Most of the later “squatter” settlements are known to the Mass, and are usually allowed to 
  continue on their own until the population reaches around one thousand. Once such a 
  threshold is reached they are encouraged to enter into a set of ‘licensing’ conditions, such as 
  the acceptance of a Governor appointed by the Mass, the instalment of a limited garrison to 
  ensure their protection against piracy and attack, and compliance with minimum atmospheric 
  flight control regulations. In return the Squatters are encouraged to develop their own 
  governmental structures and contribute to the economic growth of Duusgakhar. In reality 
  Squatter groups have little choice but to comply. Both parties gain by such an agreement: 
  but if ever the group grows too independent there is always the possibility of force being 
  used to integrate the population. This has been resorted to on a few occasions. Such groups 
  only have recourse to the Mass for the discussion of global issues, through the office of the 
  Governor. 
  By convention, but not through any statute, extra-system affairs are handled by the Combine 
  Legation Office, which “advises” the Mass. 
  Corporations 
   
  Religion 
  Since most of the core population are of Terran extraction it is not surprising that Terran 
  faiths and philosophies are dominant. In common with many structures on Duusgakhar the 
  Christian Church is under the ultimate authority of one individual, the Chaplain-General, 
  descended in direct (spiritual) succession from the senior chaplain of the colonisation 
  mission, and advised by the Join-Howse, comprised of appointed clergy and representative 
  laity. 
  The Church of Duusgakhar is not in official communion with the United Slavonic Rite 
  Orthodox Church, but is recognised by the minority Reformed (Terran) Catholic Church, on 
  the grounds that the first Chaplain-General was one of its bishops. 
  Crime. 
  
  Eufraties. 
  Eufraties. (A 48599A B) 
   
  A class starport: DC Naval Bureau facility. Trade Classifications: (industrial) and Hi pop. 
  Capital at Susa. 
  No Gas Giant. 
   
  Thick atmosphere. 
  Plentiful wildlife? 
  Plentiful water. 
   
  History 
  Government 
  Corporations: Especiacan S.A. 
  Religion 
  Crime 
   
   
  Former capital Eufraties Protectorate (Eufraties Command). 
   
  Miibureshi influx (pop value 6) 
   
   
   
   
   
  2862ff 
  Declaration of Assumption 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  2871 
  Suspension of contacts 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  2974 
  Total collapse of Miiburesh 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3000 
  Rout of Gashiimud refugees.  
   
   
   
   
   
  3019-3057 
  Mughamkhiram Disaster 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3189 
   
  <error correct> Eufratian re-contact with Miibureshi enclave  
   
   
  3776 
  First return of the Dispossessed to Miibureshi  
   
   
   
  3781 
  Official contact re-established E-D 
   
   
   
   
   
  4040 
  Susa Concordat signed, Eufratian Autonomy under Dishani Hegemony 
  4045 
  First Eufratian Colonisation Mission Colonisation  
   
   
   
  3941 
   
  Creation of the Eufratian Protectorate 
   
   
   
   
  4399 
  Accession to Combine 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  4482 
   
  History of democratic governance, declining into bureaucracy with increasing refugees. 
   
  Political connections with graveyard shift 
   
  Eufratian Lifeline vessels: Seraphim. Venerable, well-patched interstellar vessels. 
  Eufraties held the Eufraties Main together, most of the time not to Vaekodhsu. Some contact 
  on Bhoddoshivata 
   
  Eufraties keeping tabs on Bhoddoshivata and Mordachus, constant refugee influxes for 
  approximately a 300 year period. 
   
  Influx over 300 year + period 
  Another 700 years independent 
  c. 500 years from Autonomy to full Dishani Combine membership. 
   
  Early years: evidence of small numbers of Vilani, but not definite and not many. 
  Solomani era: Iranian/Persian, and Zoroastrian influences-> attracts many colonists: 
  rulership under hereditary monarchy (constitutional): the Shah. 
  Second largest constituency: Latin American roots (culture) 
  Self-sufficient and later in support of neighbouring worlds (indigenous species edible). RoM 
  
  nexus. Prime world in local main, hence Eufraties Main. 
   
  On the collapse of the Irbicht government, there is a consensual transfer of obedience to 
  Dishanirash, it was after the prime world with Naval Base. (Some perceptive commentators 
  have noted that had Dishanirash not had the Depot resources in the system then Eufraties 
  would have played an even greater role) 
  Historically supportive, and encouraged in this role by TempGov. Loose hand, and still 
  allowing free enterprise. 
   
  one of the very few corporations not subsumed into the TG. 
  Ramm-Vantage Pty.  
   
  Continuance of the Shah through Darkest Years. 
  TempGov empowers bureaucracy, which rules quietly and relatively efficiently, co-opted into 
  TempGov policy. Shah continues to rule. Only in refugee crises does the real power transfer 
  to Bureaucracy. 
  Crisis response: maintenance policy, decline in ship construction ability. 
  Decline of Shah's importance, rise of The Bureaucracy ( 'el' Estados). 
   
  Refugee influx: cultural influx. Initial segregation of cultures, later integration of resources, 
  keeping traditions alive from the 'Lost Worlds' and a loss of Eufratian Cultural Identity (hence 
  the importance of the Shah, and 'Your troubles are my troubles, my food is your food') 'multi-
  cultural pluralism'. The question: who is a real Eufratian, now? 
   
  Library Culture typified by the Alexandria Project. 
   
  The Miiburesh Experiment: cultural fusion derived from the Library.... The policy of re-
  settlement, cultural development is officially a major success, and nobody on Eufraties would 
  say otherwise. Problems may arise with "independent" analysis... For Eufratian self-image 
  THIS HAD to be a success. 
   
  Eufraties doesn't buy in to the Dishani Hegemony in as much depth. They didn't need the 
  Dishanirash Big Brother. They accept into fellowship, but do not remake refugees and those 
  they assist in their own cultural image. At the end of the day Dishanirash is milking the other 
  worlds to ensure it survival, and its supremacy. 
   
  Progressiveness: 
  Attitude: Conservative 
  Action: Advancing 
   
  Aggressiveness: 
  Attitude: Unaggressive 
  Action: Peaceable 
   
  Extensiveness: 
  Global: Harmonious (as they see themselves), but Fragmented (as others see them) 
  Interstellar: Friendly 
   
  Government Related. 
  Representative Authority: Several Councils. (Executive & Legislative) 
  Other Authority: Single Ruler: the Shah as the highest point of appeal. (with 'viziére de 
  kampa'). 
   
  Uniformity of Law: "Territorial" in that each individual has the right to be tried under the laws 
  of his own culture. This is the guarantee that the Shah extends to all those who accept his 
  hospitality. Hence a Library as a place of judicial dispensation rather than a more normal 
  court. 
  
  Legal development: early judgements, combined with founding statutes formed the 
  incomplete ‘Old Eufratian Statutes’. These remain as a discretionary tool for the judiciary, but 
  continued case law evolution, combined with the Eufratian tradition of guaranteed justice 
  according to community standards, has rendered much of this unused. The Dishani 
  Combine’s Uniform Justice Code is incorporated into the OES as an addendum, and is little 
  used.  
  Much of this is Case Law, although a written code exists to which judiciary have discretion to 
  apply (the old Eufratian Statutes). How much of this is the Combine aware of..? 
   
  As the far as the Combine is concerned govt type is 9, (impersonal bureaucracy), as far as 
  the population are concerned it’s A, a Charismatic Dictator. The line of the Shahs is 
  unbroken. 
   
  
  Miiburesh. 
  (Current ideas.) 
   
  History 
  Quite when Miiburesh was first settled is unknown, other than sometime at the height of the 
  influence and power of the Ziru Sirka. In common with many worlds in the Eperdish 
  subsector it received an influx of Solomani settlers, and with them, a new name: Gossamer. 
  However with the collapse of the interstellar infrastructure of the Interregnum a large 
  proportion of the population was evacuated in 2862AD, primarily to Eufraties, and by <> all 
  human life was thought to be extinct. As it happened, during the Interregnum a population of 
  some 8,000 managed to survive in a TL5 enclave based upon the former starport and 
  startown complex. Nearly a millennium of isolation from other influences led to particularly 
  interesting cultural and language developments, and the descendants of this society remain 
  fiercely independent and autonomous to this day, still operating the old Gossamer Down 
  facility as a class D starport. 
  As the economy and conditions of the subsector improved a sizeable number of the 
  descendants of expatriate Miibureshi were ‘encouraged’ to return the planet from c., 
  3941AD. The returns and colonisations of the end of the fourth millennium have greatly 
  increased the population. 
   
  Government. 
  The Miibureshi population vote once every 3 local years to determine the Barldarmin, the 
  representatives who sit in the Elite Council which fulfils the function of executive and 
  legislature. All who have lived on Miiburesh for more than a year are eligible to vote in the 
  ward in which they first registered. Criminals and Miibureshi off-world may not vote. 
    
  Corporations 
   
  Religion. 
  (RELIGIOUS PROFILE: BB74D0-7) 
   A wide variety of faiths and philosophies are found on Miiburesh, The original expert 
  systems encouraged the pursuit of philosophy and religion as necessary to the healthy 
  development of the individual mind and the wider community. What they could not do was 
  decide which was the best faith or philosophy. This resulted in an official policy of 
  agnosticism coupled with a legal requirement for all template-Miibureshi to receive religious 
  and philosophical instruction. Such meetings are held semi-monthly and follow a planned 
  course of study, with discussion and speculation encouraged. Many template-Miibureshi 
  take such investigation and discussion very seriously, and will espouse the merits of such a 
  course of study to any who will listen. Dishani humorists have coined the phrase "as certain 
  as a Miibureshi missionary", meaning anyone indecisive. 
   
  Outside of these official circles all major and many minor faiths and philosophies are 
  represented, although none have any legal precedence over the others, and few are 
  particularly successful in attracting converts. 
   
  Crime and Punishment. 
  (LEGAL PROFILE: 5-45366) 
  Legal matters can be very confusing to non-residents, as the law is applied on both a 
  territorial and a personal basis, that is, what is a criminal or civil offence varies dependent 
  upon who the individual is, against whom the crime was committed and where the crime was 
  committed (and sometimes also where the parties live and where they are registered to 
  vote..) Lawyers do good business on the world, while the overall judiciary is run by a number 
  of councils, most with overlapping areas of jurisdiction. Any clear-cut crimes are solved 
  speedily, but if there are any grounds for conflict cases can drag on for months. 
  Consequently there is a well-developed bail and parole system. 
   
  
  Miibureshi culture was in a very real sense invented with the first colonial missions. With the 
  exception of the citizens of the Autonomous Regions, Miibureshi follow the cultural template 
  created by the psycho-sociological expert systems employed during the Re-conquest. This 
  was made possible by the populating of the world from germ banks and embryo cultures. 
  The Miibureshi-template citizens form something in the region of 90% of the population. 
   
  spidersilk tree and other trailing vegetation, contributing allergenic pollen, which can prove a 
  nuisance if it gets into the residential zones. Quite varied native life given the thinness of 
  atmosphere and 30% hydrographics. 
   
  Effects of solar wind, some degree of shielding required at times, also causes mutations in 
  native life. Causes problems with radio communication, much use of fixed laser 
  communication relays. 
   
  Progressiveness. 
  Attitude: Progressive 
  Action: Indifferent 
  Aggressiveness. 
  Attitude: Competitive 
  Action: Peaceable 
  Extensiveness. 
  Global: Harmonious 
  Interstellar: Friendly. 
   
  Capital: Miiburesh City, population 60,000,000 with B class starport and highport in 
  synchronous orbit.  
  Second prime city is Irmashlu Khira, with population of 20,000,000. 
   
   
  The Autonomous Regions. 
  The citizens of the Autonomous Regions, are, simply put, those who do not fit the mould: 
  cryogenic survivors of the Interregnum, adult immigrants from other systems either from 
  worlds of the Combine or beyond, the Dispossessed (as the descendants of the Evacuations 
  are known) and the distinctive group known as the Gozzamese, those descended from the 
  survivors of the Gozzamuh Redoubt. The Gozzamese form the core population of the G.A.R. 
  – the Gozzamuh Autonomous Region, which has its capital at NuhGozzamuh (pop: 
  c.500,000) as well as the still inhabited site of the enclave of the Interregnum, the old 
  Gossamer Down starport, which still operates as a class D starport. 
   
  As a general rule the Autonomous Regions operate under difficult laws relating to social and 
  cultural issues, although the G.A.R in particular exerts a considerable degree of 
  independence in many issues, stemming from the historical situation as the Redoubt formed 
  the continuing government of Miiburesh through the Interregnum. 
   
   
   
    
  
  Mordachus. 
  Mordachus (0103  B 525543-A, characteristically pronounced by its inhabitants as 
  mordAchus, though the received pronunciation puts the stress on the first syllable), was 
  originally named Lamirgu by the Vilani scouts of the First Imperium, and retained this name 
  for most of its life. It was not settled by the Vilani at all, as there were more hospitable 
  surrounding worlds. In the Rule of Man, however, when the Eufraties Main as a whole 
  became a site for colonisation, Lamirgu was settled. The initial settlement was very small-
  scale. The world was effectively granted to General Julian Alexander, in recognition of his 
  services during the last Interstellar War, and the General and his family settled there, with 
  many other retired officers. The General, of North American origin, was a devotee of 
  classical culture, and the colony he established was modelled on ancient Greek and Roman 
  models. The colony called itself the Alexandrine Republic, and was effectively ruled by an 
  aristocracy made up of the families of senior officers. Lamirgu attracted many other colonists 
  from very varied backgrounds, and slowly developed a pseudo-Greco-Roman culture. The 
  aristocracy was made up of The Fifteen, descendants of the original rulers, who were 
  educated in the Academy, an institution run on Platonic lines. The population grew, 
  supported by trade links with Eufraties particularly, and by the mid 2700s numbered in the 
  millions. 
  The collapse of interstellar government hit Lamirgu hard. The high population levels had 
  been made possible largely through support from other planets of the Eufraties Main, and 
  significant hardship began to occur. The very thin atmosphere of the planet required the 
  importation of parts to maintain the atmospheric integrity of the sealed cities. These supplies 
  had never before been threatened, and the designs of the cities had reflected aesthetic 
  rather than utilitarian concerns – faults occurred relatively frequently due to the large number 
  of airlocks and viewports. Slowly outer areas of cities, and eventually entire cities were 
  abandoned. The population took up residence in what had previously been the basements 
  and storage areas in the depths of their cities, coming out to the surface only when 
  absolutely necessary. Eufraties Command maintained supplies through their ageing fleet of 
  vessels during the darkest years, but eventually The Fifteen came to the realisation that the 
  position of the population was simply not tenable. The Seraphim could not resupply Lamirgu 
  as frequently as was necessary, and large-scale evacuation was unfeasible. In consultation 
  with the Eufraties Command, the Council decided their best option was to put the population 
  into cold sleep. The risks involved were considerable, and a certain proportion of the 
  population would have to volunteer to remain, maintaining the cryogenic units, but overall 
  this seemed the best option. In 3210, this plan was put into effect. A number of Lamirgui 
  decided to emigrate to Eufraties instead, but the majority went into cold sleep. The Lamirgui 
  who were to maintain the cryogenic units, the “Custodians of the Hopeful” as they were 
  called, swore an oath binding them and their descendants to keep the units going until the 
  present crisis was over. 
  The “present crisis” lasted longer than anyone had anticipated. Eufraties managed to 
  maintain links irregularly with the Lamirgu through the Seraphim starships until the late 
  4000’s, when the Susa Accord reunited the Eufraties Command with the descendant of 
  Temp Gov., and Dishanirash was able to aid in the rebuilding of Lamirgu. By then, over 800 
  years after the majority of the population had gone into cold sleep, the planet had become 
  known as Mordachus – the planet of the dead. Vast cultural change occurred over this 
  period. Technologically, Mordachus did not decline as far as many systems, keeping its 
  knowledge alive through rote-learning and ritualistic science. The necessity of maintaining 
  the cryogenic units meant that high levels of Computer, Communication, Environment, 
  Medical, and Energy technology had to be maintained (though military and transportation 
  technology dropped to TL5, and astronomical and space-science knowledge virtually 
  disappeared). However, the general cultural outlook changed (drawing initially on classical 
  roots) to a highly mystical one. 
  The going into cold sleep had initially been portrayed (by the Council, hoping to encourage 
  the population to follow their example) as a statement of hope in the future. The Sleepers, as 
  
  they were called, were adventurous time-travellers. They would leap blindly into the arms of 
  the future, demonstrating their hope that they would awake to a new life of peace and well-
  being. This formed a powerful mythology during the few couple of centuries. The Custodians 
  grew old and died, but those they watched over never aged, but remained eternally young. 
  The Sleepers slowly became almost semi-divine beings in the minds of the Custodians. The 
  Custodians, bound by oath to these beings, were to spend their lives enabling the Sleepers 
  to stride through eternity. The conviction that in some sense the physical bodies of the 
  Sleepers were simply representations of their actual spiritual selves – who were travelling 
  astrally towards the realm of blessedness – grew stronger. Gradually the earlier Lamirgui 
  culture was forgotten, as the new rhythm of life and the mythology surrounding the Sleepers 
  shaped the society of the Custodians. Families of Custodians would devote themselves to 
  particular groups of Sleepers, and memorise their biographies and vital signs. This became 
  an almost religious ritual. The eldest male of the family was the only one who could exercise 
  the high-priestly role of actually maintaining the cryogenic units, though other members of 
  the family could observe the readings, and all were expected to memorise what the correct 
  readings should be. 
  The mystical, but fairly positive, view of the Sleepers endured throughout the first few 
  centuries, but slowly a more negative feeling began to surface. Partly this was due to the 
  small but slowly mounting numbers of deaths amongst the Sleepers. Sleepers who had been 
  lovingly watched over by generations would die, sometimes due to a technical failure, but 
  sometimes for no apparent reason. The fact was, no-one had ever used cryogenic 
  suspension over such incredibly long periods before, even at the height of the Second 
  Imperium, and it emerged that a small percentage of human bodies simply switch off after a 
  century or so of hibernation. Every disinterred body cremated by the Custodians was a 
  hammer-blow to the view of the Sleepers as divine beings. As time went on, the feeling 
  started to grow that the Custodians were not privileged priests tending angelic beings, but 
  watchers over the dying. The oath, once seen as a gift to the Custodians by the beneficent 
  Fifteen, came to be seen as a curse damning the Custodians to an aeons-long vigil over the 
  slowly dying Sleepers in the underworld of a dead world. The Custodians slowly came to 
  refer to themselves as the Graveyard Shift (or simply the Damned), their planet as 
  Mordachus, and the Sleepers as the Dying. Instead of celebrating the lives of the Dying, the 
  Damned now conducted services praying for the swift release of those even less fortunate 
  than themselves, who were doomed to die imperceptibly over centuries. This negative mood 
  was highlighted by another unforeseen side-effect of long-term cryogenic suspension. As 
  amongst all human populations, a small percentage of the population of Lamirgu had psionic 
  ability, even if unexploited. The dreaming minds of these Sleepers would occasionally 
  unconsciously project thoughts and images into the minds of Custodians nearby. Thus 
  occasionally, a Custodian would find himself “seeing” someone long-since dead, or a view 
  from a city now long abandoned, or a haunting piece of music would come into his mind. 
  More disturbingly, sometimes a Custodian might hear a voice instructing him to do 
  something, feel someone touch him, “remember” committing some violent act, or be plunged 
  into a terrible nightmare. These things heightened the tendency of the Graveyard Shift to 
  consider themselves damned. 
  By the late fourth millennium, the two views had thoroughly intermingled, bound together by 
  the controlling theme of the oath to the Fifteen. The Graveyard Shift were bound to tend to 
  the Sleepers, were blessed with the damnation of watching over the Dying. They could be 
  released from their obligation only by the arrival of the realm of blessedness (which would 
  vindicate the Fifteen’s choice of the slow death and the acceptance of the oath by their 
  ancestors), or by the eventual death of all the Sleepers (at which point most believed that 
  Mordachus itself would die). When re-contact between Eufraties and the Combine made 
  rebuilding a possibility, the Graveyard Shift found it hard to know how to respond. Many 
  refused to accept that this was the arrival of the realm of blessedness (which had become a 
  thoroughly spiritualised concept by now), and cautiously approved of rebuilding as long as it 
  did not interfere with the continued need to maintain the Sleepers. Eufratian envoys (who 
  had by and large been impressed by the selfless devotion of the Graveyard Shift to its 
  
  charge over the centuries, even if they found their peculiar mystical beliefs hard to follow) 
  were baffled by this refusal to awaken the Sleepers. A long period of negotiation between 
  Eufratian Lamirgui (who now had very little in common with the Graveyard Shift) and the 
  Custodians resulted in the beginning of the re-awakening, with initially a few thousand 
  Sleepers awakened to help rebuilding the planet. The effects of this re-awakening were far-
  reaching. What few people had appreciated was exactly what difficulties the re-awakening 
  process would cause. Around a quarter of the Sleepers died when an attempt was made to 
  revive them. About another quarter had long-term damage of some kind from their period in 
  cold sleep, whether physical or mental. All those who survived cold sleep had vast difficulties 
  adjusting to the changed circumstances in which they found themselves. Some claimed to 
  have memories of time in stasis, years and years worth of blank nothingness. A significant 
  proportion committed suicide. Those who were not in any of these categories, however, 
  were overwhelming in their gratitude towards the Custodians, and willingly took part in 
  rebuilding the planet. Significantly, one of the Fifteen, Gaius Philip Newstreet, was amongst 
  these. The Custodians took this as an official release from their oath, and began the process 
  of re-awakening all the Sleepers. Having learnt from initial mistakes, they determined that 
  only a small number would be awakened at a time, and these would be assisted in adjusting 
  to their changed situations by their family of Custodians. Every year, 2000 are chosen for re-
  awakening. 
  Society on Mordachus has taken another turn over the last 500 years. Initially, the largest 
  section of the population was the Custodians. Gradually, however, they are being overtaken 
  by the Awakened and their descendants. By long tradition, Custodians have small families 
  (so as not to be a drain on resources), and have not increased much in numbers over the 
  last 1300 years. The Awakened have no such customs, however, and are increasing in 
  numbers both through procreation and as more leave cold sleep. About a million cryogenic 
  units have been opened, with about 500,000 Sleepers successfully revived without any 
  complications. Eufratian Lamirgui who have returned are very much a minority group. 
  Interbreeding between the different groups has occurred, but rarely. The Custodians, from 
  once being the ruling class of the planet, have become a respected priestly caste, spending 
  their time re-integrating the Awakened into society and caring for those mentally or 
  physically damaged by cold sleep. They are largely unknown to offworlders, who consider 
  the Awakened to be the Mordachi. 
  The planet has largely recovered from the darkest years now, and is more self-sufficient than 
  it ever was before. The sealed cities with their views over the Mordachus plains have been 
  restored to their neo-classical splendour. Only the Custodians now dwell underground. The 
  Mordachi are sober, practical, and hardworking. Honour and obligation are vital aspects of 
  their society, and all revere the Custodians for their selfless service. 
  Government 
  Mordachus is ruled by a body known as the Forum, which meets in the old Academy 
  building. Elected representatives make up a government and opposition from amongst their 
  own number. The leader of the government is the Consul of the Awakened. Technically 
  speaking, the Forum does not have any authority over the Custodians, who have their own 
  hierarchy. The head of each family is known as The Custodian, and the oldest of these is the 
  High Custodian of the Hopeful. The High Custodian is acknowledged as the supreme 
  authority on Mordachus, but never intervenes in matters of politics. 
  Corporations 
  There are a number of corporations on Mordachus, taking advantage of the Combine’s 
  recent liberalisation. Most important of these is Republican Enterprises, which controls the 
  planet’s starport and operates passenger and freight transport. Bearers of the Oath ought to 
  be mentioned as well. A charitable organisation, Bearers of the Oath is run by the 
  Custodians (though largely administrated by the Awakened) to support them in their work. 
  Almost all inhabitants of the planet give to it, it is exempt from taxes, and as a consequence, 
  
  is incredibly wealthy. It is also largely unsupervised. Rumours of scandals associated with it 
  have circulated, but few wish to believe them. 
  Religion 
  Although not an official religion, the Custodians of the Hopeful essentially function as a 
  priesthood for the culture of the Awakened. Around 1.5 million Sleepers still remain 
  unawakened, and the Damned (now used confusingly as a positive term) still maintain their 
  charge. The major elements of their doctrines are outlined above. The major modifications 
  have been to the doctrine of the curtailment of the oath and the coming of the realm of 
  blessedness. The oath is believed to still be in force, and to include the responsibility to re-
  integrate the Sleepers into society and to care for those damaged by cold sleep. The 
  majority view on the coming of the realm of blessedness is now that the Awakened will bring 
  the realm of blessedness into being. Some groups, however, believe the realm of 
  blessedness has already come, or that it cannot be brought by human effort. There is a 
  minority group who believe the re-awakenings to be a mistake, and to be endangering the 
  coming of the realm of blessedness which can only be brought about by the astral travel of 
  the Sleepers. 
  The Vilani faiths never made much of an impact on Mordachus, but several of the Solomani 
  religious faiths are represented here. Forms of Christianity and Islam which pick up the 
  sense of the Awakened working to bring the realm of blessedness are flourishing. 
  Crime 
  Mordachus is a fairly peaceful and civilised planet except for the areas of its cities that have 
  not been restored for one reason or another (the population has not yet reached its previous 
  level, and all cities have uninhabited, decayed areas in them). The inhabited zones of cities 
  are generally pleasant by day, but by night gangs roam the streets. The Tribunes, as the 
  local law enforcers are known, have a fairly high presence on the streets. The carrying of 
  weapons is acceptable for self-defence, but needless to say any use of weapons has to be 
  justified legally. The Tribunes themselves have the right to use lethal force if it is necessary 
  to prevent an offence being committed. 
  
  Skelter 
  Skelter(0803, A000972-C) 
   
  The Skelter Belt is a massive, resource-rich belt that encircles the system’s star inside the 
  orbit of Big Red, the <insert qualifier> gas giant. The resources of the asteroid belt attracted 
  settlers to the system from the time of its discovery by Vilani scouts. Mining of the Skelter 
  Belt helped the settlement of the neighbouring Dishanirash system. The nature of 
  prospecting, however, meant that initially settlements (generally within the mixed belt), were 
  populated only until surrounding areas of the belt had been exploited, and would then be 
  abandoned. Abandoned Early Vilani prospector settlements are found scattered throughout 
  the Belt, many now completely uncharted. Some are now re-used as the shifting of asteroids 
  has redistributed resources in that area of the Belt. 
  This early stage of settlement gradually gave way to more settled communities, as belters 
  brought their families and formed permanent settlements. The settlements had no unified 
  system government, and tended to all be supported by different authorities (whether 
  corporations, Planetary administrations within the subsector, or Naval contractors). 
  Kamgagisha, still one of the largest of Skelter’s population centres, was founded at this 
  point. The Rule of Man brought a new wave of belters to the system. The new settlers were 
  of diverse origin, but the most significant group were largely Scandinavian in origin, who 
  founded Vortigern Prime (now the largest settlement in the Skelter Belt). The Vortigern 
  Prime Consortium swiftly became one of the major corporations within the system. It was by 
  no means the only independent operator, however, as the Solomani belters were largely 
  independent, unlike their Vilani predecessors, who tended to be employed by organisations 
  outside the system. Gradually the tendency towards autonomy grew, however, and many 
  settlements followed Vortigern Prime’s example, becoming autonomous corporations, buying 
  themselves out from outside control. 
  The collapse of the Second Imperium, and disintegration of subsector government at Irbicht 
  was a great blow for the belters of Skelter. The system’s settlements and wealth were reliant 
  on the lucrative trade with other systems. They therefore started to feel the effects before 
  many other systems. Those settlements that were owned by outside corporations and 
  governments were threatened by breakdowns in communication. Wages were delayed by 
  increasingly long periods. Some settlements found that their parent corporations, unable to 
  effectively support them, washed their hands of them completely. Others simply disappeared 
  from notice as their owning corporations collapsed. The awareness of the impending 
  disaster caused by the collapse led Vortigern Prime to take a leading role in establishing the 
  Temporary Governorship with the Dishanirash-based Kagekaashaam corporation, and the 
  Imperial Naval Directorate who were one of their major markets. Several other Skelter-based 
  corporations joined the emerging TempGov, especially those cut adrift from outside support. 
  These corporations (whose produce was essential to the viability of settlement on 
  Dishanirash itself), were effectively absorbed into the emerging bureaucracy of the emerging 
  Military-Industrial powerbloc on Dishanirash. The Vortigern Prime Consortium itself was to 
  form a major element of the bureaucracy with a voice in the Triumvirate, merging with 
  Kagekaashaam to form the Resource Bureau, with particular responsibility for Resource 
  Exploitation. 
  As many had feared, the collapse of interstellar trade led to a sharp decline in the system’s 
  economic health and technological ability. The Declaration of Assumption in 2871 effectively 
  brought the remaining independent corporations under TempGov control. The TempGov, 
  acting through the Resource Bureau office on Vortigern Prime, kept the settlements alive in 
  return for the resources so urgently needed on Dishanirash. Gradually a reciprocal 
  relationship emerged, which continued even after the Skelter settlements lost their own 
  ability to maintain jump-capable craft. As Dishanirash’s own interstellar capability declined, 
  direct contact was maintained only with Vortigern Prime. During this period, the other 
  settlements became self-governing, engaged in trade with TempGov on Vortigern Prime. As 
  the darkest years went on, even this interstellar contact was lost. Skelter’s own inter-
  
  settlement trade continued, however, and saw the system through the period of isolation. 
  Rather than increasing feelings of unity within the system, this period if anything increased 
  the sense of identification with a particular settlement. Some settlements completely 
  disappeared during this period (some are rumoured to have been destroyed and then 
  pillaged by their neighbours). When Dishanirash re-established contact with Vortigern Prime 
  in 3511 the settlements were more ruggedly independent than ever. Initially a trade 
  relationship similar to the old one was established, which was beneficial for both systems. 
  The bureaucracy’s own historic links to Skelter were less significant in this regard than the 
  practical benefits of a reciprocal relationship. Under the influence of this trade relationship, 
  Skelter began to show signs of recovery matching Dishanirash’s own. 
  The period of freedom from TempGov control, however, meant that such a relationship could 
  not easily be reasserted. Vortigern Prime had been treated almost as a TempGov settlement 
  at the beginning of the Darkest Years. Centuries of independence had changed its 
  character, and its population were no longer employees of the Resource Bureau, although 
  they were proud of their heritage as former employees of the Vortigern Prime Consortium. 
  The settlements demanded recognition as equal and independent trading partners. This was 
  initially conceded, as the Bureau lacked the strength to enforce its control over the 
  settlements. For a period of a few decades, the Bureau’s belters, individual prospecting 
  crews, small companies, and whole settlements traded with each other and the Bureau, 
  forming a vibrant local economy. The Bureau’s needs were always more than the Bureau’s 
  own prospecting teams could provide for, and it needed to buy or barter for minerals from 
  the independent belters. The rather cut-throat nature of the market had unfortunate side-
  effects however. Piracy and stealing of cargoes became quite common, as the Bureau would 
  buy without asking questions. The threat that this piracy posed to the Bureau’s supplies was 
  the excuse that it needed to extend its authority over the entire Skelter Belt. In 3543 
  TempGov offered its protection to all the settlements, and Skelter was effectively brought 
  into what would be called the Dishani Hegemony. Elements of the Navy and Resource 
  Security Cohort crushed the pirates, and all the settlements came under TempGov authority 
  (although they were allowed to retain their self-governing status). There have been 
  persistent reports of a small number of minor settlements who refused to accept TempGov 
  control, and were among the “pirate bases” assaulted and pillaged by the RSC, but this has 
  always been denied by the Bureau. 
  As a key member of the Dishani Hegemony, Skelter if anything grew in significance. The 
  Bureau increasingly found it more economic to base manufacturing within Skelter than to 
  transport raw materials to Dishanirash, and in time a good proportion of Hegemony (and 
  later Combine) shipping was constructed at the shipyards of New Oslo. A Bureau of 
  Reconnaissance facility was built on Vortigern Prime, which retained its place as the most 
  significant starport of the Belt. The most significant development in the recent history of the 
  system has been the re-establishment of the Vortigern Prime Consortium by the Combine. 
  Although now a largely Dishanirash-based corporation, VPC has been given back its old 
  premises on Vortigern Prime itself, seemingly for sentimental reasons. This almost 
  unprecedented move – the Resource Bureau actually handing key resources over to an 
  independent company – has baffled many observers. The recent role of the reformed 
  corporation in co-operating with Sytaëf ApK in its construction work on Ugigiinaar has 
  perhaps suggested that the intention is to allow the Combine a way of engaging in projects it 
  cannot politically be associated with directly. Many have questioned exactly how free the 
  corporation is from Bureau control, but there has been nothing to suggest that it is not. 
  The Skelter Belters, as some of the most long-standing non-Dishanirashi members of the 
  Combine, and with historic links to its establishment, identify with the Combine to a great 
  extent. However, their identity is closely tied to their individual settlements. In economic and 
  population terms, Skelter is a very significant presence within the Combine, but there is no 
  united political body to represent all of Skelter, and it retains a semi-provincial feel. The 
  continuing vital role of Belters within the system and the high level of mobility that this 
  requires amongst significant levels of the workforce lends Skelter as a whole a unique feel. 
  
  Skelter is something of a contradiction. One of the wealthiest, and most advanced systems 
  within the subsector (indeed within all human space), it retains a provincial or frontier feel to 
  it. It lacks the stability and security of Dishanirash, or the cosmopolitan air of Eperdish. 
  Skelter has an indefinable rough edge to it, and those born within the Belt tend to feel a little 
  like the country cousins of the Dishanirashi. 
  Government 
  Although the entire Skelter system is part of the Combine, it has no unified system 
  government. Technically, Skelter is not a member of the Combine, but every individual 
  settlement in the Skelter Belt is. The apparent bureaucratic nightmare that this presents is 
  seen by some as in actuality a shrewd policy of Dishanirash to keep Skelter controllable. 
  Skelter, with its vast naval shipyards, is the only system within the Combine that could rival 
  Dishanirash’s own military might, should it ever seek independence as a united system. The 
  most important settlements are listed below. All have populations in the millions. 
  Vortigern Prime 
  Once the headquarters of the TempGov Resource Bureau within the Belt, the planetoid is 
  still governed by an appointee of the Bureau. By convention, the governor is also the 
  settlement’s Senior Administrator, and head of the Combine Legation Office. This unique 
  state of affairs greatly benefits the Resources Bureau and is periodically challenged by the 
  BIA. Much of the Bureau’s activity within the system is administered from the offices here. A 
  fairly sizeable proportion of the population are connected to the Bureau in some way or 
  another, and the settlement is seen by many as effectively an outpost of Dishanirash. It 
  certainly seems to be the case that Vortigern Primers are statistically more likely to be 
  granted Dishanirash citizenship than citizens of any other settlement. The planetoid also 
  contains the system headquarters of the newly constituted Vortigern Prime Consortium. 
  Vortigern Prime is probably the most politically significant, if not most populous of the 
  settlements. The current Governor, Lars Ustigagi, is a middle-aged career bureaucrat born in 
  the settlement who is well-liked by the populace at large. 
  Kamgagisha 
  One of the oldest settlements, and possibly the most populous. The settlement is governed 
  by a council of twenty known as the Hall of Speech (after the building in which they meet). 
  The council is elected on a rotational basis, four members annually, with each member 
  serving a five year term. The electorate is made up of those whose assets are valued at 
  above a certain level (adjusted to keep in line with inflation). Kamgagisha has always been 
  one of the most economically important settlements, and since the Combine’s granting of 
  licenses to independent corporations it has had many mining companies based within it. The 
  policies of the Hall of Speech (not unnaturally) favour the wealthy and businesses. The 
  settlement tends to attract entrepreneurs, small-time operators looking for a deal, and many 
  who hope that in the shadow of the successful their own fortunes will blossom. At present 
  the Hall of Speech is pursuing progressive policies, seeking to encourage new businesses 
  and further stimulate the economy. 
  New Oslo 
  A relatively minor settlement for much of its history until the Bureau decided that it was well-
  positioned to become a manufacturing centre, and turned it into the largest naval shipyard in 
  the system. Initially a Bureau-controlled settlement, its increasing strategic significance for 
  the Navy, and the large civilian population attracted by the settlement’s growth (which 
  concerned the BIA) has meant that control over the settlement has been in dispute ever 
  since. The settlement is officially governed by a Mayor, elected by the general populace. 
  However, the Mayor has to take into account the views of various “advisors” appointed by 
  the Bureaux with vested interests in New Oslo. The Senior Administrator is effectively the 
  appointee of the BIA, the commander of the shipyard is the Naval Bureau representative, 
  and the Resource Bureau appoint a Supply Co-ordinator. The various advisors rarely co-
  operate with each other (except to veto suggestions made by another advisor), and are 
  generally highly suspicious of each other. The resulting lack of effective government has 
  
  created a situation in which social and political problems remain unaddressed, and the 
  settlement is in long-term decline. 
  Corporations 
  The most significant single corporation in Skelter is indisputably the Vortigern Prime 
  Consortium. However, the entire system is at present feeling the benefit of the Combine’s 
  recent progressive policies, and there are many new mining and transport companies 
  competing with each other within the system. The system also produces high tech goods 
  that are sold throughout Combine space. The nature of the settlements means that there is a 
  large market for more exotic foodstuffs that cannot be produced in the hydroponics plants. 
  Religion 
  As might be expected, the system contains representatives of almost any faith found in 
  human space. A few smaller settlements are highly religious, verging on the theocratic, in 
  character. Freeca, for example, is a Rastafarian mining community. 
  Crime 
  Piracy and smuggling continue to be problems within the Belt, and policing them effectively 
  is very difficult. The sheer number of settlements, and almost limitless potential hiding places 
  make it a task it really takes an entire fleet to perform. In general, each settlement takes 
  responsibility for policing the craft in its own port, and the Naval Bureau concentrates on 
  policing the main transport routes. Arms smuggling is a particular concern, as weaponry of 
  Combine line-standard is manufactured within the system. Finally, Skelter’s potential as a 
  flashpoint for dissent (a nightmare scenario for the Combine because of its high potential 
  military capability) has been a long term concern for the BIA. Dissidents are few and far 
  between (at least on the surface), but the high visibility of the BIA within the system is often 
  counter-productive in this regard, producing resentment where previously there was none. 
  
  The Lameshid Confederacy. 
   
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONFEDERACY 
  The Confederacy was formed in 4364 with the signing of the Lameshid Accords between 
  Gekarkagushaam and Karaganda. The Accords stated the intention of both worlds to 
  encourage trade between their two systems and to engage in trade together with other 
  systems, to follow a unified interstellar policy, and to establish a unified military command 
  structure capable of acting to preserve the interests of both systems. The motivation for the 
  Accords was, as was widely recognised, a fear of the growing power of the Dishani Combine 
  within the subsector. The Gekarkagushaam Conclave feared that their world would be seen 
  as a target for annexation. They likewise feared the effects of a trade embargo on their 
  planetary economy (a continuing problem for the Conclave that remains unsolved), and 
  sought to strengthen trade links outside the Combine. Karaganda, a world that values its 
  independence above all else, realised that its lack of a star fleet of its own (again, a 
  continuing weakness, as Karaganda is now dependent on Gekarkagushaam’s navy) made it 
  vulnerable and sought an ally. The two worlds make unlikely allies, their cultures and forms 
  of government are wildly different. Karagandi tend to see Gekarkagushaami as weak, 
  intrusive, and conspiratorial. Gekarkagushaami tend to see Karagandi as wayward, 
  uncooperative, and stubborn. The divisions between the two remain, and the diplomacy 
  necessary to reach any agreement within the Confederacy is legendary. However, as noted 
  above, the reasons behind the formation of the Confederacy remain strong, and subsequent 
  events, (such as the creation of the Eufratian Protectorate in 4399, and its subsequent 
  adsorption within the Combine in 4482, increasing the extent of the Dishani Combine to 23 
  systems), have only made them stronger. 
  More direct actions by the Combine have also played a part in the development of the 
  Confederacy. Around 4450 Confederacy Intelligence uncovered the existence of a long-term 
  DCI operation known as “Purple Flower”. The aim of “Purple Flower” was to disrupt trade 
  links between Karaganda and Gekarkagushaam by employing privateers based in the 
  Mamgaashi system. “Purple Flower” was itself only one element of a larger-scale operation, 
  not fully implemented, the objective of which was to annex Mamgaashi itself. This discovery 
  precipitated the so-called “Mamgaashi Affair”, whereby the Confederacy diplomatic corps, 
  over the course of three years, achieved the impossible and persuaded the Mamgaashi 
  Regional Governments to call a planetary Council, which decided to join the Confederacy in 
  4453. The Combine, predictably, denied the existence of “Purple Flower”, and interpreted 
  the Mamgaashi Affair as an example of Confederacy expansionism. (Very useful 
  propaganda for its diplomatic overtures towards the independent worlds neighbouring the 
  Confederacy). 
  The admission of Mamgaashi to the Confederacy did little to change its overall makeup. 
  Mamgaashi had long been dominated by its more powerful neighbours, and its reasons for 
  joining the Confederacy were identical to those that had inspired the Confederacy’s 
  foundation. The more recent admission of Eperdish to the Confederacy has had a more 
  dramatic impact. Around 4500, Eperdish began to make overtures towards the Confederacy. 
  Eperdish had long been the dominant world in the Rimward end of the subsector, and had 
  played a significant role in the recovery of both Karaganda and Gekarkagushaam from the 
  Long Wait. However, it had shown no previous interest in forming binding alliances with 
  other worlds. None of the Confederacy worlds could afford to alienate Eperdish, but it was 
  always obvious that if Eperdish joined the Confederacy it would significantly shift the balance 
  of power. Eperdish wished to join the Confederacy because the Administration felt that the 
  days when Eperdish could stand alone were numbered. It would soon be sandwiched 
  between the expanding power blocs of the Combine, the Grand Duchies, the Third 
  Imperium, and Antares. If it was to retain any freedom of action, it needed allies, it needed 
  the Confederacy. After years of negotiation, Eperdish finally joined the Confederacy in 4504. 
  Its membership has, even over the course of the sixteen years it has been part of the 
  
  Confederacy, changed the nature of the organisation. The most obvious result has been the 
  recent move of the Confederacy Directorate of Interstellar Trade to Eperdish from 
  Gekarkagushaam. This is, however, symbolic of a more subtle change. The Confederacy 
  has historically been focused to Coreward, on the Combine. Its policies have been largely 
  reactive, following developments within the Combine. Eperdish has brought a new focus, out 
  of the subsector, Rimward towards the Grand Duchies, and Spinward towards the Third 
  Imperium. The Combine is no longer seen as the only or ultimate threat to the Confederacy 
  worlds. This is producing a change in policies to a more proactive stance. 
  THE CONFEDERACY ADMINISTRATION 
  Under the terms of the Lameshid Accords, modified in 4453 and 4504, the Confederacy 
  functions as an interstellar governmental body with executive powers over member worlds in 
  the area of interstellar affairs and trade only. All member worlds are to have a unified trading 
  and interstellar policy. The military forces of each member world whilst remaining 
  independent, work closely together in training, and have joint defensive strategies. In 
  addition, the Confederacy council can initiate a state of military emergency under which the 
  council assumes full executive powers over all member worlds, and the military forces of 
  member worlds come under the direct control of the Confederacy First Space Marshal. 
  These powers have never had to be fully exercised, (though Confederacy military actions 
  under the control of the First Space Marshal have) and by and large the Confederacy has 
  little direct impact on the lives of citizens of member worlds unless they are involved in travel 
  or trade to worlds outside the Confederacy. Member worlds have their own planetary 
  governments and domestic policies, and their own legal and judicial systems. 
  The Confederacy has three administrative bodies: The Directorate of Interstellar Trade, The 
  Directorate of Interstellar Affairs, and The Directorate of Military Affairs and an Executive 
  Council. The bulk of the Confederacy bureaucracy has always been made up of 
  Gekarkagushaami, as throughout most of the history of the Confederacy all of the 
  administrative bodies have been based on that planet. The reasons for this are largely 
  practical: the harsh conditions on Karaganda make it an unhelpful place to base the 
  administration, and Mamgaashi has always been a junior member. However, there have 
  always been Karagandi and Mamgaashites working within the Directorates (the Directorate 
  of Military Affairs in particular has always had a fairly even representation), and the last 
  sixteen years have seen an influx of Eperdishi administrators. However, the corporate 
  culture of the Confederacy administration has tended to resemble that of the Conclave, with 
  all its strengths and weaknesses. 
  The Executive Council is the ruling body of the Confederacy, which meets in Confederation 
  Hall in Derkesh on Gekarkagushaam. It is made up of one Chief Executive from each 
  member world. The precise method of selection for these individuals varies, but they are all 
  appointed for seven year terms. The Karagandi CE is elected, the Gekarkagushaami and 
  Eperdishi CEs are appointed by their planetary governments, and the Mamgaashi CE is a 
  representative of one of the RegGovs, in strict rotation. Other RegGovs may have observers 
  at the Council, but may not speak for their planet. The presidency of the Council rotates 
  yearly. The Council appoints the Directors, who report to it. 
  Chief Executive Vasilef Mohammed of Karaganda (President). CE Mohammed is a former 
  party leader of the Veterans Alliance, never First Councillor, but a highly regarded career 
  politician, known for his forthrightness, incorruptibility, and loyalty to his planet. He is a 
  strong-minded individual who has tended to dominate the Council during his Presidency. He 
  is wary of all the developing interstellar power-blocs, and determined to preserve the 
  Confederacy worlds’ independence. At 40, he is elderly by Karagandi standards, but living 
  on Gekarkagushaam has increased his life expectancy.  
  Chief Executive Honnecalo Lin of Gekarkagushaam. CE Lin is a career bureaucrat, who 
  worked his way through the ranks of the Bureau of Justice before being chosen by the 
  Select Conclave to be the planet’s member of the Council. He is a bitter rival of Zare 
  
  Naasha, who became BJ Secretary with Lin’s promotion to the Executive Council. He has an 
  abiding suspicion of the Combine, and will always oppose any moves towards 
  rapprochement. 
  Chief Executive Alaisef Salenskovich of the Northstar Federation, Mamgaashi RegGov. CE 
  Salenskovich is a former General in the Federation military. Perhaps inevitably, his major 
  interest within the Council is ensuring that any policies (especially economic policies) 
  affecting Mamgaashi do not favour the Plains Republic. Much of his time is spent on internal 
  politics with the observers from other RegGovs. In truth he is very conscious of representing 
  a fairly minor member of the Confederacy, and in policies with no immediate sectarian 
  impact he tends to simply support the majority. 
  Chief Executive Renardo Kalisan of Eperdish. CE Kalisan is a career administrator from the 
  Department of Planetary Economy. He has a keen interest in the economic impact of any 
  policies, and is concerned to maximise the Confederacy’s trade. Re-locating the CDIT to 
  Eperdish has been his greatest achievement so far. He is renowned for his attention to 
  detail, and ability to memorise the seemingly insignificant clauses of past policies. He is a 
  devoted follower of the Hummingbird Venath, and his seemingly unpredictable changes of 
  opinion and attitude often mystify other CEs. 
  The Directorate of Interstellar Trade regulates the interstellar trade of all member worlds. 
  It sets the import and export rates on goods, resolves commercial disputes between member 
  worlds, and works to further the interests of Confederacy traders and corporations. It has 
  recently relocated to Eperdish, which is a far more significant trading centre than 
  Gekarkagushaam. 
  Director Mattheus Kenochi is the first Eperdishi to be a Director, appointed to ensure the 
  transfer of the CDIT to Eperdish is unproblematic. A former member of Eperdish’s 
  Department of Planetary Economy, and appointed to the Directorate on the recommendation 
  of CE Kalisan, Director Kenochi sees the move of the CDIT as his chance to demonstrate 
  what Eperdish can bring to the Confederacy. He is determined to impress the Council. He is 
  a follower of a fairly minor Venath, which often means even other Eperdishi are taken by 
  surprise by his changing Casaalha. 
  The Directorate of Interstellar Affairs has its administrative headquarters in Derkesh on 
  Gekarkagushaam. It has two main divisions: the Diplomatic Corps, and Confederacy 
  Intelligence. 
  Director Sen Aliessa has spent her entire career within the CDIA, initially as a member of the 
  Diplomatic Corps, and then within the Directorate’s senior administration. Her diplomatic 
  experience has modified some of her otherwise Gekarkagushaami attitudes – she is 
  surprisingly prone to acting on her own initiative. 
  The Diplomatic Corps is the visible face of the CDIA – the Confederacy’s envoys in their 
  bottle-green uniforms or ceremonial robes, who represent the Confederacy worlds 
  throughout the subsector and beyond. The Confederacy maintains embassies or consulates 
  on most major worlds within the subsector, and a number further down the Eperdish Main. 
  These act as liaison between the Confederacy and other governments, and provide a limited 
  degree of support to Confederacy citizens on those worlds. The Corps on occasion also 
  work to resolve differences between member worlds. Diplomatic Corps agents also act as 
  spokespeople and trouble-shooters for the Confederacy in crisis situations requiring a non-
  military solution. 
  Head of Diplomatic Corps – Father Basil Gregorianus. Father Basil is unique. The only 
  member of the senior staff of the Confederacy to also be a serving member of a religious 
  order, also the only Mamgaashite ever to have risen to his position. Father Basil is a priest 
  and career diplomat from the Protectorate. Working initially within the foreign office of that 
  RegGov, his work improving relations between the Protectorate and the Plains Republic lead 
  
  to an invitation to lecture at the CDIR academy on Gekarkagushaam. This lead to a post 
  within the Diplomatic Corps. Sheer ability has led to his appointment as head of the Corps. 
  Confederacy Intelligence (abbreviated either as ConfedInt or See Eye) is the invisible 
  counterpart to the Diplomatic Corps. Intelligence operatives are mainly involved in 
  information gathering, but of course ConfedInt maintains a capacity for more robust covert 
  activity. Intelligence activities have historically tended to focus on the Combine, though more 
  recently, with the accession of Eperdish (and the incorporation of its own intelligence service 
  into ConfedInt) there has been a broadening of focus to include worlds to Rimward. 
  ConfedInt has a counterintelligence section, but the Confederacy’s lack of interest in the 
  domestic policies of member worlds has meant its funding and operations are negligible 
  compared to the BIA. Generally ConfedInt only involves itself in internal affairs if following a 
  lead unearthed in investigation outside the Confederacy, or if asked to investigate something 
  by planetary law enforcement. 
  Head of Confederacy Intelligence- General Yousef Ilamail. General Ilamail is in his mid-
  thirties, reaching the end of a distinguished career, mainly in military intelligence. His 
  surprise appointment as head of ConfedInt three years ago was at least partially an attempt 
  on the part of the Executive Council, backed by the CDIA Director to push ConfedInt into a 
  more proactive role. General Ilamail was previously head of the operational intelligence 
  division of the Karagandi military service.  
  The Directorate of Military Affairs has its administrative headquarters and central planning 
  unit on Limdakhag, the inner moon of Gekarkagushaam. However, until and unless a state 
  of military emergency is declared, it consists of little more than a Director and a small staff. 
  The Director is First Space Marshall, nominally the highest-ranking military officer in the 
  Confederacy, and the appointment is the highest honour a serving officer can hope for, but 
  unless a war breaks out it is strictly a desk job. The supreme commanders of the military 
  forces of the member worlds are the Confederacy Line Commanders for their systems, and 
  fully integrated into the Confederacy military structure. However, although the Confederacy 
  Space Fleet as a whole is not presently under the command of the First Space Marshal, 
  there are a number of smaller specialist units that are permanently seconded to Confederacy 
  control by member worlds: The Karagandi Ranger Commando, the First Republican 
  Vactroops, and the Divine Wind. These are elite units, which tend to be deployed in a Spec 
  Ops role. 
  First Space Marshal Akira Loi. First Space Marshal Loi is the most-decorated and renowned 
  Gekarkagushaami naval officer, whose tactics are studied in naval academies in the 
  Confederacy and the Combine. He would have been made Space Marshal of 
  Gekarkagushaam if the Executive Council hadn’t decided to make him First Space Marshal 
  instead, leaving his protégé Yoshi Fa to take that position. Loi is an old man now, but still 
  has a razor-sharp mind. 
  The Karagandi Ranger Commando is an elite element of the Planetary Rangers. These 
  are troops trained in small unit tactics and able to operate completely without support for 
  extended periods in almost any environment. As well as their initial training on Karaganda, 
  the Commando train extensively on Mamgaashi and Gekarkagushaam. 
  The First Republican Vactroops are a Mamgaashite unit, from the Plains Republic. They 
  are specialists in low and zero gravity operations, combat in a shipboard environment, and 
  boarding actions. They train extensively with the Gekarkagushaami navy. 
  The Divine Wind are an elite Gekarkagushaami naval fighter/bomber unit. They tend to fly 
  escort missions for valuable or sensitive cargoes, hunt-and-destroy missions for particularly 
  elusive fugitives, or precision strike missions (i.e. from a carrier in orbit, diving down to strafe 
  a particular room of a particular building and returning to orbit before the city defences have 
  come on line). 
  
  CONFEDERACY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. 
  As is obvious from the above, the Confederacy was formed with the simple aim of preserving 
  the independence of member worlds from the growing power of the Combine. Other 
  economic and political benefits deriving from their association were seen very much in a 
  secondary light. In a paradoxical way, it is the need for independence and the fear of 
  external control that has bound the Confederacy together. The commitment to 
  independence, together with the practical insight that none of the worlds is strong enough to 
  stand alone is the key to the Confederacy. A strong desire to manage their own affairs and a 
  perceived 
  common 
  enemy 
  forms possibly the only common ground between 
  Gekarkagushaam and Karaganda, worlds that are complete opposites in almost every other 
  respect. A number of factors have acted to modify or complicate these aims and their 
  perception over the almost 150 years that the Confederacy has been in existence. 
  The first factor is the simple truth that the Combine is no longer the threat it was once 
  perceived to be (if it ever was quite as much of a threat as was thought). When the 
  Confederacy was first formed, the Combine was in a period of expansion. This period in 
  many respects came to an end with the full integration of the New Extents into the Combine 
  proper in 4482. The fears that motivated the formation of the Confederacy now seem to have 
  been baseless, in that the Combine has never annexed any of the independent worlds of or 
  near to the Eperdish Main. It is of course impossible to tell to what extent this is due to the 
  existence of the Confederacy, and the chance that any action against independent worlds 
  would simply push them into the arms of the Confederacy. Although the Combine has 
  always had sufficient military force and resources to defeat the Confederacy, such a war 
  would be costly. It would likely blast the Confederacy worlds back into very low TLs, perhaps 
  rendering them uninhabitable, thus negating any gain the Combine would have had from the 
  war. In addition, it has always been a central tenet of Confederacy military strategy that they 
  cannot hope to win a defensive war, so in the event of hostilities they would be forced to 
  directly attack Combine population centres hoping that the damage caused or the threat 
  thereof would be sufficient to make the Combine back down. The two power-blocs were 
  initially in a state of cold war, but this has thawed considerably over the decades. In the 
  current political climate, the Confederacy worlds see the Combine as simply the nearest of a 
  number of powerful interstellar power blocs, and in many ways one of the more friendly. 
  Although some Confederacy citizens still see the Combine as “the enemy”, some are 
  beginning to see it as a potential ally against other enemies, on the principle of “better the 
  devil you know than the devil you don’t”. 
  The second factor is that the Confederacy has taken on a life of its own. An organisation 
  seen initially purely in terms of a military alliance has become something more. The 
  Confederacy has very rarely had to function as a unified military command except in 
  exercises. It has been functioning as an interstellar government in the areas of trade and 
  interstellar policy for almost a century and a half. The economic benefits to member worlds 
  have been significant, but much more so has been the increased power and influence they 
  have enjoyed within the subsector through their membership of the Confederacy. To be a 
  Confederacy citizen, although not being the honour Dishanirash citizenship is, is still to have 
  significance, and is automatically granted to all born in Confederacy space. Confederacy 
  diplomats are frequently called to arbitrate disputes between independent worlds, 
  Confederacy embassies within Combine space, as well as protecting the rights of their own 
  citizens, also offer asylum to those seeking to escape Combine control. Citizens of 
  Confederacy worlds will typically proudly identify themselves with such actions. This sense 
  of identity as a citizen of the Confederacy, which is not seen in legal terms, as there is no 
  unified Confederacy law code to base it in, is widespread and indicates that in popular 
  imagination the Confederacy is more than it might appear to be on paper. It should not be 
  forgotten that the policy makers of the Confederacy are equally affected by this sense that 
  the Confederacy has an identity that goes beyond its origins, founding documents, and 
  administration. 
  
  A final factor that has modified the Confederacy’s aims and its self-perception is the recent 
  admission of Eperdish. Eperdish, as a major world, has swiftly assumed a position of 
  considerable influence within the Confederacy, and it is likely that the decades to come will 
  only see this increase. The precise motivation behind Eperdish’s decision to seek entry into 
  the Confederacy is uncertain, perhaps even to the Eperdishi themselves. Anxieties about 
  Eperdish’s place in the subsector grew in many Casaalhi, and the time seemed opportune 
  for alliance. Eperdish’s presence within the Confederacy certainly boosts its influence as an 
  interstellar organisation. However, some within the Confederacy wonder if Eperdish is 
  seeking to take over the Confederacy for its own ends. Whatever the reasons behind 
  Eperdish’s decision, it is certain that it did not join for the reason the other member worlds 
  did: fear of annexation by the Combine. This in itself is significant, as it reflects the fact that 
  the Confederacy is in fact no longer serving its original purpose. It is more likely that 
  Eperdish joined from fear of either annexation by the Grand Duchies, Antares sector powers 
  or the Sylean Imperium, or an inability to meet its commitments to independent worlds of the 
  Eperdish Main. These motivations underlie the major change brought about by Eperdish’s 
  accession: a broadening of the Confederacy’s horizons. For most of its history, the 
  Confederacy has been concerned purely with subsector politics. Eperdish, by contrast, has 
  long been aware of and affected by events and powers originating outside of the subsector. 
  Through Eperdish, the Confederacy now has a number of treaties with independent worlds 
  of the Main outside of the subsector. The Confederacy is really just waking up to its position 
  as a fairly small interstellar alliance sandwiched between a number of advanced and 
  expansive pocket empires amongst which the Combine is one of the more benevolent. 
  Where does this leave the aims and objectives of the Confederacy? The simplest answer is 
  that at present they are being questioned as never before, and are in a state of uncertainty 
  and flux. Certain interest groups within the Confederacy (of whom the current President 
  would be an advocate) hold firmly to a historic perspective, seeing the Confederacy in 
  minimalist terms as primarily a military alliance, having a focus on subsector politics, and 
  seeing the Combine as “the enemy”. Others argue that if the Confederacy is to have a 
  future, and if the Confederacy worlds are to avoid being absorbed by whichever power bloc 
  moves fast enough, drastic change is needed. Although many would hold this view there is 
  no agreement as to the nature of such change. Some argue that the Confederacy must 
  choose which power-bloc it will support and ally itself with them, while it is still able to make 
  a choice. Some argue that the Confederacy must itself become a power-bloc able to stand 
  on its own. It must actively seek new members amongst the independent worlds to increase 
  its power base and reform its administration to become a genuine interstellar government. 
  Needless to say, this widespread debate within the Confederacy (which is going on at many 
  different levels as it has as much to do with the Confederacy’s self-perception as anything 
  else) is of considerable interest to neighbouring power-blocs, many of whom are actively 
  attempting to push the Confederacy one way or another. 
  THE IMPERIAL CONNECTION. 
  The Library data and other sources give the impression (common in Combine space) that 
  the Confederacy is already virtually a client state of the Third Imperium, who have various 
  covert or overt facilities on Eperdish. This is the product of a campaign of misinformation by 
  ConfedInt directed at both the Combine and the Grand Duchies, the aim of which is to give 
  the impression that the Confederacy has powerful allies. It is hoped that this will discourage 
  potential enemies. In fact, although there has been sporadic contact down the Eperdish Main 
  with traders and scouts operating out of the Third Imperium, the Confederacy has had no 
  direct contact with Imperial diplomats, and certainly has no form of alliance with them. It is by 
  no means certain that the Confederacy would actually seek such an alliance if it had the 
  chance. 
  THE FUTURE OF THE CONFEDERACY. 
  History is set against the Confederacy. It simply has no chance of long-term survival. It has 
  only recently realised the realities of its situation, as a small fish in a big pond, and glimpsed 
  
  the shape of the future. At this point no action it could conceivably take will prevent it being 
  absorbed by someone or other within the next century, and probably within the next half 
  century. The only questions that remain open are how long it will remain independent, if it 
  will go peacefully, and who will actually absorb it. 
  According to the default timeline agents of the expanding Third Imperium will make their 
  presence felt within the subsector in about 20-30 years time. The Confederacy, still in much 
  the same position, will realise it has nothing to lose and much to gain by joining the 
  Imperium. In 4554 (34 years time) the Confederacy begins negotiations with the Imperium, 
  and after initially acting as an Imperial client state and forward base for Imperial Naval 
  vessels it is fully absorbed by the Imperium in 4578 (58 years time). Thus the attempt by the 
  Combine to annex Hyams in 4589 (69 years time) occurred one jump from the Imperial 
  border post on Gekarkagushaam, and could not easily be ignored. This incident, and the 
  subsequent Imperial action lead to the collapse of the Combine and its eventual absorption 
  within the Third Imperium. 
  There are several alternate histories that could occur. Some of the more probable are 
  outlined below. 
  The Assertive Confederacy. 
  If, for whatever reason, the Confederacy actually reforms its administration, centralises, and 
  becomes expansive, it will be in a very different position in 20-30 years time when the 
  Imperium begins to become influential in the area. It may well have acquired new member 
  worlds, Imperdagak and other worlds of the Main are likely to have joined, but Largidkush, 
  Dashlaar and Arzareth, Ambwez, and maybe even Hyams could be members, if they sense 
  the need to join a power-bloc or be absorbed and if the Confederacy structure retains its 
  quite representative feel. Such a Confederacy might not be inclined to meekly seek to join 
  the Imperium, and might even defy it. Such defiance would naturally be futile, and given the 
  natural environmental hazards of a number of member worlds any war could be devastating. 
  However, if the Imperium had to fight to gain the Confederacy, its expansion into the Empty 
  Quarter would be delayed by decades. The effect of this delay on the eventual fate of the 
  Combine could be considerable. 
  The Corporate Confederacy. 
  One of the greatest “powers behind the throne” within the Confederacy is Sytaëf ApK, which 
  has a considerable degree of influence on each of its member worlds. It has considerable 
  interest in the future of the Confederacy, and in particular in its relations with other power 
  blocs. Its corporate memory is very long, and it has no desire to have its assets seized by 
  one or both sides in any potential conflict within the subsector. If it appears that the 
  Confederacy is likely to provoke a war, it may decide this is not in its interests and attempt to 
  seize control. If successful, this may well mean that by the time the Imperium is making 
  overtures towards the Confederacy, it is actually engaging in negotiations with Sytaëf ApK. 
  The corporation might well be willing to accept Imperial authority in exchange for trading 
  concessions within the Imperium. This would leave Sytaëf ApK as a major corporate player 
  within the Imperium. The effects of this on the history of the Imperium as a whole, but also 
  on the fate of the Eperdish subsector, as Sytaëf ApK’s home subsector, could be 
  considerable. 
  The Combine-Confederacy alliance.  
  In the present climate, some within the Confederacy are beginning to think the unthinkable: 
  that an alliance with the Combine might be the best way forward. At present this is unlikely to 
  be accepted by the Confederacy as a whole. However, if the Combine reformed itself, and 
  adopted a more representative structure within which the integrity and independence of 
  member worlds could be recognised, the Combine just might be seen as the best potential 
  ally for the Confederacy. This would, naturally, completely change the history of the 
  subsector. By the time the Imperium reached the subsector it might be under a unified 
  
  interstellar government more democratic and popular that the Imperium’s own, and at a 
  comparable tech level. Any swift annexation would certainly be out of the question. The 
  Combine might become expansive itself, attracting independent worlds in neighbouring 
  subsectors. It might make common cause with Antares in the Julian Protectorate, and be 
  awarded a permanent Cultural Region status. It might never be incorporated within the 
  Imperium and remain an independent state. 
  The Cincopoi Option. 
  (Admittedly this isn’t that probable, but it’s just improbable enough to actually happen, and 
  let’s face it, it’s a lot of fun). The Heklarr Dominions are not far distant from the worlds of the 
  Confederacy, in neighbouring Wurenish subsector. The Cincopoi are at present limited to J1 
  capability and it is noted that for cultural reasons they are unlikely to attempt a war of 
  interstellar conquest. However, if a rare period of cultural unity under a charismatic and 
  aggressive leader coincided with a misjudged incursion into Dominion space by colonists, 
  traders, or explorers from Ugigiinaar, it is entirely possible that the Cincopoi could decide to 
  protect their borders by annexing Ugigiinaar and Forniss. Forniss, as well as being two 
  jumps away from Confederacy space, is notable for having a small population, limited 
  technical resources (and thus defensive capabilities), and a Combine Bureau of 
  Reconnaissance Facility. On a world two jumps away from Combine space, this must have 
  J2 craft stationed on it. This brings us to a situation where the xenophobic Cincopoi, united 
  under an aggressive leader, suddenly acquire TL11 spacecraft. An attack on Forniss is likely 
  to bring retaliation from the Combine, and start an interstellar war. Once they are involved in 
  a war, the Cincopoi will be desperate for advanced technology and industrial capacity to give 
  themselves a fighting chance. They may not have very accurate maps of Eperdish 
  subsector, and may not understand or even care about the difference between Combine and 
  Confederacy. For whatever reason, they may see Gekarkagushaam as a logical target. This 
  brings Confederacy and Combine forces together in fighting against the Dominions. Where 
  such an event might lead is beyond the scope of this prediction. Might it encourage an 
  alliance? Might it weaken both Combine and Confederacy before the Imperium arrives? 
  What would happen if this occurred just as the Imperium began to arrive in strength? What if 
  the Cincopoi started winning? 
  
  CONFEDERACY WORLDS IN DETAIL. 
  Eperdish  
  Eperdish (0310, A 686996-B) was the first planet of the subsector to be settled, and has 
  always been one of its most important worlds. A pleasant world with a hospitable ecosystem, 
  it was one of the First Imperium’s thriving colony worlds. The largest native life-form, the 
  eight-winged Zhincoath (also known as a “Rainbow Dragon”), has been domesticated. 
  Although the flying creature is not strong enough to function effectively as a beast of burden, 
  and is positively slow compared to a grav-car, many Eperdishi enjoy riding Zhincoathi, and 
  wealthier citizens often maintain an aviary for this purpose. Air traffic control on Eperdish 
  reserves a certain level for Zhincoathi riders (visitors are advised to programme an auto-
  correct facility in their grav-vehicles to prevent themselves accidentally transgressing this 
  zone). Races are also popular events, as are dressage contests. Both have a slightly 
  carnival air to them, with supporters wearing multi-coloured clothes imitating the plumage of 
  the Zhincoath they favour. With the advent of the Rule of Man, Solomani colonists also came 
  to Eperdish (which was re-named Sheppard). This had the overall effect of increasing the 
  planet’s rather cosmopolitan air. Palsh-Aith (temporarily re-named New Paris) acquired its 
  well-known Golden Bridge at this point (an unnecessary extravagance in a culture which has 
  the grav-vehicle as its major means of transport). Over the centuries any Solomani-Vilani 
  tension has been long forgotten. Instead, the varied Solomani and Vilani cultures are viewed 
  as a rich heritage shared by a population whose ancestry is thoroughly mixed. Eperdishi 
  culture is formed of a unique mix of the Solomani need for change and innovation, and the 
  Vilani love of tradition and history. 
  Eperdishi are famously curious, creative, and fickle. “As brief as a fashion on Eperdish” is a 
  well-known aphorism. Eperdishi, when they can afford it, change their “look” at least every 
  year in accordance with whatever fashion they identify. “Fashions”, although the closest 
  Anglic equivalent, does not really describe the “Casaalhi” that are the driving force of 
  Eperdishi culture. A Casaalha embraces styles of dress, accessories and living 
  environments, speech patterns and dialects, music and arts, philosophical ideas and 
  attitudes in a single self-conscious cultural movement. However, despite the apparent 
  creativity, Casaalhi are bound by strict rules – they cannot engage in any genuine 
  innovation, only in combination of Vilani or Solomani cultures of the past. The exact focus of 
  an emerging Casaalha is determined by a group of artists, designers, architects, 
  philosophers, historians, linguists, musicians, and others who form the “Venath” or inspiring 
  soul/muse/guide of a particular school of Casaalhi. The Venathi are treated by Eperdishi 
  society much as covens of mystics or oracles would be in less developed societies, the 
  exact paths along which they guide the Casaalhi unguessable, as they interact with each 
  other or rediscover a culture from the past. An individual Eperdishi family will tend to follow 
  the path of a particular Venath as much as they are able. Eperdishi clothes and consumer 
  goods are not designed to last, but to fit with a certain look that is not expected to last longer 
  than a few years at the most. Eperdishi buildings are largely constructed as solid frameworks 
  whose exteriors and interiors can be changed regularly. Visitors to the planet should not be 
  surprised to find it virtually unrecognisable when they return. For the Eperdishi the Casaalhi 
  are the most important aspect of life, guiding everything else. Society is actually incredibly 
  stratified, organised on an almost caste system, where children follow the family craft or 
  profession without question. However, the status of any job may vary wildly according to the 
  current Casaalha, so a scientist might see himself as a dangerous eccentric under some 
  Casaalhi, and as the guiding light of civilisation under another. Those who cannot afford to 
  adopt the full lifestyle of a Casaalhi will still adopt its idioms and attitudes. 
  Following Casaalhi is the central focus of Eperdishi life, so any off-worlder who makes an 
  effort to follow the Casaalhi is counted as Eperdishi, in this respect Eperdishi culture is 
  remarkably inclusive. Eperdishi who must live off-world make a great effort to keep in close 
  contact with the latest pronouncements of their Venath (and preferably with those of other 
  Venathi too, as certain changes of Casaalhi are more comprehensible when put in context). 
  Relations between different Casaalhi vary. Venathi always consciously define their position 
  
  in relation to each other, as well as in relation to their followers in every different social 
  strata, so a shop assistant follower of a Ming dynasty/Victorian/Early Imperium Casaalha will 
  know precisely how he should relate to a female customer following an Inuit/Haalikhi/Aztec 
  Casaalha. Sometimes interaction is (indeed, must be) hostile, and this can lead to a formal 
  duel (which is always to first blood only, and the winner pays the losers’ medical bills), 
  sometimes interaction is cordial, and at times Casaalhi have in fact merged (just as others 
  have split, with members of the Venath feeling pulled in different directions).  
  There is little value in detailing all the many current Casaalhi, but a number of the more 
  widely followed will be described. The “Hummingbird” Venath is currently espousing a 
  Casaalha known as Pseudo-primitive. This borrows from Solomani African tribal imagery 
  and music, a vaguely Stoic philosophical outlook, and the elaborate etiquette of the height of 
  the First Imperium. The “Floating Pebble” Venath is espousing a Casaalha known as Neo-
  formalism. This borrows from a complex of rather fatalistic pseudo-Darwinian Vilani 
  philosophies, Solomani classical music, and has a very minimalist imagery. A third Venath, 
  which refuses to adopt a name of its own and is always known by the name of the Casaalha 
  it espouses is the Colour-burst Venath. This borrows from colourful children’s clothing, a 
  hedonistic and self-consciously idealistic philosophy, and a particularly raucous traditional 
  Vilani music-form. 
  History 
  Eperdish was settled in the First Empire, assuming a position of considerable importance in 
  the subsector, at times it was regarded as the second world of the subsector after Irbicht, the 
  seat of the subsector government. The Rule of Man brought a fresh wave of colonisation, 
  during which the planet and several of its major cities were renamed. At the point when the 
  government on Irbicht collapsed, Eperdish was one of the major systems of the sector, a hub 
  of commerce, connected to the same main as Irbicht, on a par with if not more important 
  than Eufraties and Dishanirash. 
  The Long Wait (as the Darkest Years tend to be known in the Rimward end of the sub 
  sector) brought an end to interstellar trade, but no great hardship. Eperdish gradually 
  dropped to a sustainable TL8 in most areas, though maintained a primitive Fusion plant 
  capability and some primitive grav technology. Much of the theory of sub-light stellar travel 
  was also maintained throughout the period, though was not much exploited. With the gradual 
  falling off of contact from other worlds, Eperdishi society became more and more static, 
  stratified, and insular. The colonial office administration moved imperceptibly into a self-
  perpetuating impersonal bureaucracy, simply known as the Administration. During the Long 
  Wait the Casaalhi assumed more and more importance in Eperdishi culture, until they came 
  to totally dominate it. 
  The Long Wait came to an end in 3942 when a squadron of Grand Duchies warships jumped 
  into the system in an abortive attempt at conquest. The invaders were easily defeated, but 
  their sudden appearance heralded a new era in Eperdishi culture. The Casaalhi all reflected 
  a need for urgent activity to recover lost technology and to re-establish interstellar capability. 
  Careful examination of the captured craft, combined with the preserved theoretical 
  knowledge enabled Eperdish to regain J1 capability in 3967. Re-contact was made with 
  Imperdagak in 3973, and with Karaganda in 3980, but neither world had much to offer 
  Eperdish. Slow progress was made in recovering technology and restoring interstellar trade 
  until re-contact was made with Gekarkagushaam in 3987. A treaty with the Conclave, 
  exchanging technology for major trading concessions allowed Gekarkagushaam’s industrial 
  capacity to boost Eperdish’s own. By the time a second Grand Duchies force threatened the 
  system in 3990, Eperdish was able to repel them with its own warships, based on the Grand 
  Duchies’ own designs. The threat of the Grand Duchies led to a defensive alliance (once 
  again, in exchange for trading concessions) with Imperdagak and other worlds further along 
  the Main, but the rather traditionalist tendencies of the Casaalhi has meant that Eperdish has 
  always had its central focus on matters within the subsector, and has refused to engage in 
  more permanent treaties with worlds to Rimward.  
  
  During the last five centuries Eperdish has been involved in a series of brush wars with the 
  Grand Duchies, fulfilling its commitments to aid worlds of the Main, but always demanding a 
  price for such aid. The Administration has continued to work to increase the planet’s 
  technology and its trade revenue, but its general policy of keeping Eperdish free from any 
  binding alliance has started to appear mistaken. The rise of both the Combine, and, in 
  response to it, the Confederacy, have changed the balance of power in the subsector 
  dramatically. In addition, Eperdish has had some contact with envoys of the Third Imperium. 
  Slowly but surely, interstellar power-blocs are forming against which Eperdish cannot stand 
  alone. It was this that prompted Eperdish’s surprise decision to join the Confederacy in 4504. 
  Eperdish’s swift move to dominance within the Confederacy, seen as inevitable by most 
  commentators, has been demonstrated by the recent move of the CDIT offices to Eperdish. 
  Government 
  The Administration is a classic Vilani bureaucracy, sprawling, labyrinthine, and 
  unaccountable. The fact that to all intents and purposes bureaucrat is a distinct caste in 
  society only serves to further isolate the Administration from the experience of those it 
  governs. All bureaucrats must be promoted on their own merits (though as some will have 
  relatives in high places this is sometimes a formality), and individual bureaucrats may 
  change department from that of their family, but the make up of the Administration is largely 
  static. In all likelihood the Administration would have completely ossified into a reactionary 
  obscurantism by now if it were not for the influence of the Casaalhi. Casaalhi shape the 
  politics of Eperdish as much as they do anything else. The constant change of perspective 
  and philosophy brought about by the cycle of Casaalhi gives the Administration an incredible 
  dynamism and flexibility. It also gives the bureaucrats a point of connection with those they 
  govern at the deepest level. The common citizen can see members of the Administration 
  interpreting the ideas of the Casaalhi he shares at the highest level. The varied and often 
  contradictory policies pursued by bureaucrats following different Casaalhi can at times be 
  counterproductive, but not much more so than the disruptions caused by party politics in 
  democratic governments, and on occasion the fusion of wildly opposed philosophies can 
  seem inspired. 
  The Administration has eight departments and many more sub-departments. The eight 
  department heads are known as Senior Administrators, and form the Standing Committee of 
  the Administration, which meets weekly, but also on an ad hoc basis to discuss matters of 
  inter-departmental import. The chairmanship of the Standing Committee rotates with each 
  meeting, and all decisions must have majority support, the chair only voting if there is a 
  deadlock. The views of the Senior Administrator may or may not influence the policies his 
  department implements, depending on how much his Casaalha encourages a forceful 
  presentation of views and how much the Casaalhi of his subordinates encourages them to 
  acquiesce. 
  There is little point in detailing the personality and opinions of the various Senior 
  Administrators, as these will simply reflect the Casaalhi they are following, and this may 
  change completely within a year. The only constant factor of interest is the number of Senior 
  Administrators following the same Venath, as this gives some indication of how unified a 
  response the Standing Committee is likely to give to any situation. At present there is a fairly 
  even spread, with two Senior Administrators following the Hummingbird Venath, two 
  following the Floating Pebble, and the other four all following different ones. 
  Corporations 
  Eperdish, as a major trading centre, has no shortage of corporations. The most significant of 
  the corporations based in the system are Sytaëf ApK, Sheppard Incorporated, and 
  Humanicorp. 
  Sytaëf ApK, the most powerful (and oldest) interstellar corporation in the subsector, have 
  their subsector headquarters in the Sistolesh Arcology, an enclosed city and trading centre 
  built on an island owned by the corporation. Sytaëf ApK have long seen Eperdish as their 
  
  home following their re-location from Combine space when they resisted the Declaration of 
  Assumption in the 2870s. The corporation has, since that time, made it a policy never to 
  become involved in politics, and is believed to be re-assessing its position following 
  Eperdish’s decision to join the Confederacy. 
  Sheppard Incorporated, originally highly Solomani in outlook, as the name indicates, is now 
  thoroughly Eperdishi. The corporation is based on Eperdish, but now does business 
  throughout the subsector, especially along the Eperdish Main. Sheppard Incorporated, as 
  the second most powerful corporation in this part of the subsector, finds itself often in 
  competition with Sytaëf ApK. The conflict between the two is generally restricted to a 
  commercial rivalry, but both have clandestine operatives and both corporations practise 
  industrial espionage. 
  Humanicorp is largely a recruitment and training agency, based on Eperdish, but working 
  with businesses and workers throughout the subsector. The corporation does organise 
  temporary short-term contracts for highly skilled workers, but the bulk of its profits come from 
  longer-term, bulk contracts. It may recruit and train a small army of construction workers to 
  hire out to a string of different corporations, for example. The corporation has been 
  rumoured to engage in a number of dubious activities: it is notorious for being able to supply 
  skilled workers in the less reputable end of the “entertainment” business. More seriously, it is 
  rumoured to engage in biotech and genetic modification research with foetuses taken 
  illegally from pregnant workers to create workers better adapted to certain tasks. Rumours 
  that the corporation not only trains but also breeds workers have long circulated. 
  Religion 
  Almost all Vilani and Solomani religions are represented on Eperdish. None are particularly 
  dominant. The change of Casaalhi does not really affect the degree of religious belief 
  (though certain Casaalhi create a climate more in harmony with certain religions than others, 
  and others (e.g. ones based on Medieval European culture or equivalent cultures) involve 
  philosophical assumptions that presuppose certain religious beliefs) so much as the manner 
  of religious observance and the theological systems used. Each Casaalha is concerned with 
  cultural expression of spirituality and religious belief, rather than the belief in itself. Each 
  Venath is likely to give some guidance as to the appropriate way for Zen Buddhists/Orthodox 
  Christians/followers of the Irkhu Galasshu to express their Casaalha in a religious context. 
  The stimulus the Casaalhi give to creative theological thinking is generally seen in a highly 
  positive manner by religious leaders. 
  Crime 
  Although Eperdish has its fair share of drug-pushers, purse-snatchers and other petty 
  criminals it is infamous for its smuggling. Eperdish is a major starport, and the sheer volume 
  of trade passing through it makes an ideal cover for less legitimate cargoes. In the current 
  confusion surrounding the relocation of the CDIT to Eperdish smuggling has if anything 
  increased. A frequent dodge, used for a variety of reasons, is for a ship to enter a busy port 
  under one name and leave under another. Once the CDIT has firmly established itself it is 
  likely that there will be a crackdown, unless the officials have become as corrupt as those 
  they are replacing in the meantime. 
  Eperdish’s position as a trading centre, and home to a number of powerful corporations 
  means it also suffers from high levels of corporate crime. Bombings of corporate offices or 
  facilities sometimes occur, as do gun battles between clandestine operatives of corporations, 
  or freelancers hired for the occasion. More common, however, is industrial espionage, 
  usually involving data theft. Kidnappings or defections of key personnel have been known. 
  The two major corporations involved in these corporate wars are Sytaëf ApK and Sheppard 
  Incorporated (always through third parties and in a position to deny any responsibility), but 
  other corporations also engage in such tactics, hoping to gain an advantage over their 
  competitors. 
  
  Gekarkagushaam  
  Gekarkagushaam (0508 B 79699A-A) was first settled in the First Imperium, soon after 
  Eperdish, being a pleasant world whose dense atmosphere, like Eperdish’s, was not far from 
  standard, and seeming perfect for colonisation. There were no exceptionally dangerous flora 
  or fauna. The only aspect of its ecosystem that was potentially problematic was the plant the 
  survey team named “yellowgrass”. This plant thrives over the entire planetary surface, and is 
  very resilient. During Spring and Summer it releases a pollen that, whilst only a mild irritant 
  to certain native mammals (generally the ones who like to eat yellowgrass) creates an 
  extremely intoxicating effect if inhaled by Vilani or Solomani. Brief exposure to yellowgrass 
  pollen gives pleasurable hallucinations. More prolonged exposure leads to madness and 
  brain-death. It is extremely addictive. Initially the colonists were slow to realise the dangers 
  inherent in yellowgrass. Although its recreational usage was frowned upon by the authorities, 
  many colonists used it. Once full analysis of the properties of yellowgrass became available, 
  the colonial office moved swiftly to prevent its use. They were almost too late. Around half of 
  the original colonists suffered either death or madness from their exposure, a defining 
  moment in the history of the colony. Settlements continued to spread over the surface of the 
  planet, but the wearing of filter-masks was rigorously enforced. As word of yellowgrass 
  spread to other systems, illegal harvesting by drug-dealers became a major law-enforcement 
  issue. It was swiftly discovered that yellowgrass itself could not be grown off-world except at 
  the prohibitive expense involved in recreating Gekarkagushaam’s exact environment. 
  However, the pollen, if harvested, could be processed into a snuff-powder. As at any time 
  the pollen will be floating in the air somewhere on the planet’s surface, guarding against 
  illegal harvesting posed a great problem. Many within the colonial office at the time called for 
  the withdrawal of colonists and imposition of an enforced exclusion notice as the best way to 
  stop a drug trade developing. In the end, the thriving colony (and the wisdom of maintaining 
  some form of starport facility in the system) proved powerful counter-arguments. Instead, a 
  comprehensive satellite monitoring system was put in place, with an interceptor squadron 
  based on Limdakhag, the planet’s inner moon providing a rapid-response capability to local 
  law-enforcement. 
  If the presence of yellowgrass on the planet was one of the factors that defined its 
  development, the growth of heavy industry on the planet during the Second Imperium was 
  another, turning Gekarkagushaam from just another colony to a keystone of the economic 
  superstructure of the subsector. It was during this period that there was an influx of Solomani 
  colonists, almost all of Asian origin, industrial workers shipped in by the corporations 
  involved in factory development.  
  These two factors have shaped Gekarkagushaami culture. In an environment where taking a 
  breath of the air could produce hallucinations, vigilance, carefulness, and restrictions on 
  individual rights to ensure the safety of all become a way of life. The necessities of life on 
  Gekarkagushaam, together with a blending of Vilani and Solomani culture has produced a 
  society that off-worlders sometimes describe as “stifling”. The typical Gekarkagushaami 
  seems on the surface to be fairly placid, content with his lot in life, unimaginative, and 
  obsessively interested in everyone else’s business, especially in their personal safety. They 
  tend to have little time for individuality, making decisions collectively or deferring them to 
  higher authority. Communal responsibility is a way of life, and no-one ever assumes that a 
  task is someone else’s responsibility. The placid contentment that is one of the outsiders’ 
  first impressions is actually only surface-deep. Gekarkagushaami are experts in passive 
  aggression. It is very rare to see one lose his temper (considered very rude), but instead 
  they find small deniable ways of claiming their revenge and making the life of others a 
  misery. Custom is very important, and the necessity of following correct procedures is 
  unquestioned. However, in cases where social breakdown has lead to the abandonment of 
  the rigid cultural constraints on behaviour, apparently placid and passive Gekarkagushaami 
  have become ravaging murderous mobs in the blink of an eye, a cultural trait exacerbated by 
  the tendency of rioters to tear off their filter-masks as an act of protest, producing the 
  phenomenon called “pollen riots”. These occurred on several occasions during The Long 
  
  Wait (The Conclave’s term for the Darkest Years), and occasionally occur during 
  emergencies or power cuts. Such riots are put down ruthlessly and efficiently by the military, 
  and never reported or recorded. Everyone knows that they happen, but such things are 
  never discussed with outsiders. 
  History 
  Gekarkagushaam steadily grew in population and importance during the First and Second 
  Imperious, though without ever achieving the pre-eminence of systems like Eperdish or 
  Irbicht. Its growth was one of the major factors leading to the settlement of Mamgaashi 
  during the Second Imperium. With the end of the Second Imperium, in 2810 the colonial 
  office in Kergu declared itself to be the planetary government, a state of affairs accepted by 
  the populace at large, which simply went on with business as usual. As the Long Wait 
  progressed, the planetary government merged with or absorbed all the independent 
  corporations and agencies operating on the planet in the interests of the planet as a whole, 
  thus forming the bureaucratic monstrosity known as The Conclave (more officially The 
  Permanent Conclave of Planetary Administration). The planet actually suffered remarkably 
  little from The Long Wait, slowly declining to a sustainable TL6, maintaining much of its 
  industrial capacity, including its ability to process and cleanse native-grown foodstuffs for its 
  population. It was able to maintain a Jump 1 interstellar capacity for a number of centuries, 
  enabling continued contact with Mamgaashi, Karaganda, and Eperdish. However, with the 
  general decline of interstellar trade, and the gradual loss of its more advanced industrial 
  capacity, this was eventually lost. The planetary spy-satellite grid was gradually degraded 
  into non-existence, as was the interceptor base, but decline in interstellar capacity meant 
  that interstellar drug smuggling was no longer a serious threat. 
  The Long Wait finally came to an end with contact from Eperdish in 3987. The Conclave 
  negotiated restoration of interstellar capacity in return for major trading concessions, an 
  arrangement beneficial for both systems, and which played a major factor in Eperdish’s 
  quick recovery from the Darkest Years. These negotiations meant that the planet’s return to 
  interstellar trade was initially exclusively directed towards Eperdish, though the use of Jump 
  1 craft necessitated trade links also being swiftly re-established with Mamgaashi and 
  Karaganda. Gekarkagushaam’s early restoration of interstellar capability (before it had the 
  capacity to adequately maintain such a capability, and long before it had regained an 
  equivalent tech level in other areas) encouraged a fast recovery from the Darkest Years, 
  though its growth was always eclipsed by that of Eperdish. 
  The century following Dishani recovery of Jump 2 capability, and the consequent restoration 
  of contact between the Eperdish Main and the Dishani Cluster gave a great boost to 
  economic and technological growth in the area, but especially to Gekarkagushaam, which 
  could now engage in trade with Augarien, Heuvel, and Duusgakhar. However, as more news 
  of the expansionistic tendencies of the Dishani Combine spread throughout the Eperdish 
  Main, the Conclave became increasingly concerned that Gekarkagushaam might itself be 
  annexed. These fears lead in 4364 to the Lameshid Accords between Karaganda and 
  Gekarkagushaam, forming the Lameshid Confederacy as a defensive alliance against the 
  expansion of the Combine. The Confederacy has grown since, as other systems fearful of 
  Combine expansion or wishing to secure trade links with Confederacy worlds have joined. 
  As a founding member of the Confederacy, Gekarkagushaam has increased its own 
  significance as a system, and is presently more influential than it has ever been before. Its 
  economical and technological growth is continuing, and it is likely to soon reach TL11. 
  Government 
  The Conclave is an Impersonal Bureaucracy. However, this neat category fails to do it 
  justice. The Permanent Conclave of Planetary Administration is a labyrinthine 
  conglomeration of agencies, bureaux, departments, and services that cover every area of 
  society. The Conclave proper (or the Select Conclave, as it is known) is a council of the ten 
  Secretaries who head the most important branches of the Conclave, and meet in the ancient 
  seat of the Planetary Government in Kergu. The Select Conclave has no head, and all 
  
  decisions are made collectively, but certain Secretaries are more influential than others 
  because of the relative importance of their branch of the Conclave. In fact many decisions 
  (even those of planetary significance) never get to Conclave level. There is no precise ruling 
  on what needs Select Conclave authorisation and discussion and what does not. Generally a 
  Secretary will present something to the Select Conclave if it is risky, and he wishes to have 
  the Conclave as a whole accept responsibility for it. Communication between different 
  branches of the Conclave is not always good, and it is entirely possible to find officials from 
  three different branches working on the same problem entirely independently each thinking it 
  falls within their area of responsibility. The Conclave tends to operate largely pragmatically, 
  its guiding value being the good of the planet as perceived by the members of the Select 
  Conclave. The Conclave is horrendously inefficient, often corrupt, and ultimately beyond the 
  control of any individual part of it (even the Select Conclave). In fact, it is all but impossible 
  for any one part of the Conclave to know what the Conclave as a whole is doing. It is also 
  very slow in making any wide-ranging decisions, and suffers from a corporate lack of 
  imagination. Having said this, it must also be said that the Conclave is actually remarkably 
  effective in governing the planet. Conclave administrators have been ruling the planet for 
  centuries, and the Conclave’s preference for allowing routine matters to be dealt with at 
  lower levels means that many decisions can be made very quickly by people who have a 
  good knowledge of all the factors involved. The strengths of the Conclave are its 
  thoroughness, its expertise, and its unflappability. Reliance on collective decision-making 
  and its ability to rely on procedures and precedents stretching back over a millennia and a 
  half, makes it unlikely to be hampered by the inexperience or panic of individual 
  administrators in crisis situations. 
  The Bureau of Trade and Planetary Economy 
  One of the most influential branches of the Conclave, the BTPE effectively controls the 
  planetary budget, and is based in Kergu. Secretary Yong Kalii is the senior member of the 
  Select Conclave, and an outspoken anti- Combinist. He is seeking closer links with nearby 
  Independent systems and with Sytaëf ApK to reduce Gekarkagushaam’s dependence on 
  trade with the Combine. 
  The Interstellar Affairs Agency 
  The IAA is little more than an office and a skeleton staff. With the formation of the 
  Confederacy, the Conclaves’ Interstellar Affairs Agency was transformed into the 
  Confederacy’s Directorate of Interstellar Affairs, moving its offices to Derkesh, and taking on 
  some additional Karagandan staff. The Secretary of the IAA is therefore little more than a 
  liaison between the Select Conclave and the CDIA. However, despite being unimportant in 
  himself, the Secretary is effectively the representative of the Confederacy in the Conclave, 
  which gives him considerable influence. Secretary Galle Min-ko is well known throughout the 
  Confederacy for his distinguished career in the Confederacy Intelligence and Diplomatic 
  Corps. 
  The Combined Planetary and Interplanetary Services 
  The CPIS is the Gekarkagushaam military service. The planet has long felt itself to be at risk 
  from a surprise attack from the Combine, and has a considerable military capacity. The CPIS 
  has its administrative base in Dunimshin (also the site of its foremost military academy), 
  though the spacefleet is based on Limdakhag, the planet’s inner moon. The CPIS is fully 
  integrated into the Confederacy military structure, and Space Marshal Yoshi Fa is both 
  Supreme Commander of Gekarkagushaam military forces and Line Commander of 
  Confederacy military forces (Gekarkagushaam). She is an experienced officer, who has 
  lately been masterminding a series of campaigns against smugglers and pirates who seem 
  to be operating out of an uncharted base somewhere within one jump of the system. 
  The Bureau of Justice 
  The BJ is one of the more influential branches of the Conclave, at least partly because 
  through the Agency Of Investigations it has more insight into the running of the Conclave 
  than any other branch of it, and has the power to remove opponents on corruption charges. 
  Secretary Zare Naasha is an ambitious man who believes he can rise to a position of 
  
  dominance within the Select Conclave. He is presently attempting to undermine Yong Kalii’s 
  position, and hopefully force his premature retirement. 
  The Department of Science and Technology 
  The Agency of Production and Processing 
  The Agency of Agriculture 
  The Transport Bureau 
  The Department of Environmental Affairs 
  The Bureau of Health and Safety 
   
  Corporations 
  There are no independent corporations based on Gekarkagushaam itself, as all such 
  businesses have been absorbed into the Conclave. However, the Conclave itself has 
  become increasingly dependent on various corporations, most notably Sytaëf ApK, for high 
  technology goods, especially in military technology. The Conclave spares no expense in 
  ensuring that its naval forces are at a technical level equivalent to, if not superior to, those 
  that might be used by the Combine in any action against the Confederacy. The ultimate 
  source of such goods is either the Combine itself or The Grand Duchies, and the Conclave 
  finds it infinitely preferable to go through a corporate supplier than to negotiate directly with 
  either power-bloc. These corporations have a certain degree of influence within the 
  Conclave, and particularly within the departments concerned with supply, and projecting 
  defence needs. Sytaëf ApK has offices in Kergu. 
  Religion 
  As a former Vilani colony-world, Gekarkagushaam has a well-established Irkhu Mugriima 
  cult. The Five have temples in all major cities. In addition, the Irkhu Galasshu is very 
  widespread, and has done much to shape the psyche of the planet’s population. In 
  accordance with Vilani tradition, starships are treated as households, with the [image/icon]s 
  of designers and captains being featured in the ship’s [ancestor-shrine]. This practice has 
  lead to the Irkhu Galasshu being almost universal amongst naval personnel. The influence of 
  Solomani Asian culture has been felt strongly in the area of religion. Almost all Solomani 
  religions can be found amongst the population, but the most significant religions are 
  Hinduism and Buddhism. Both have certain at least superficial similarities to the Irkhu 
  Galasshu. This has lead to a certain fusion of Irkhu Galasshu, Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs 
  and practices in popular devotion. (Even though each religion has an independent body of 
  followers and there has been no official syncretism). Many [ancestor-shrine]s contain images 
  of Krishna or Buddha. 
  Crime 
  Gekarkagushaam has an extreme law level. This is very much an outsider’s perspective. 
  Official intrusion into every area of life in the interests of public safety and planetary well-
  being is culturally expected, as is filling out forms in quadruplicate whenever seeking to do 
  something out of the ordinary. In general, as long as any citizen simply goes about their 
  ordinary business, and acts in a predictable fashion the BJ has no need to get involved 
  (although legally it has every right to if it chooses to). Similarly, if off-worlders simply submit 
  a detailed itinerary, and complete listings off all items being taken on and off planet before 
  they arrive, their visit will be unremarkable as long as they stick to it. It is only when people 
  act in unpredictable ways that the BJ tends to act in the obstructive, unhelpful, and downright 
  coercive manner for which it is notorious. As a matter of course, sidearms are not permitted 
  to be worn by off-worlders for the duration of their stay, due to the dangers of possible 
  exposure to yellowgrass pollen (off-worlders unused to wearing filter-masks occasionally 
  suffer hallucinations whilst in densely-populated areas). 
  As might be expected, yellowgrass smuggling is the major source of crime on 
  Gekarkagushaam. The AOI is engaged in a full-time campaign to root out smugglers. Its 
  sister-agency, the Agency OF Enforcement, maintains an interceptor squadron on 
  Limdakhag specifically to apprehend or destroy smuggler-vessels. Thanks to the restored 
  satellite warning network it is almost impossible to harvest pollen from a spacecraft using an 
  
  atmospheric scoop, but this is simply the crudest method of harvesting. Despite the BJ’s 
  most strenuous efforts, the revival of interstellar trade has brought about a revival of the 
  trade in yellowgrass, which can be found as far afield as The Grand Duchies. 
  
  Karaganda  
  Karaganda (0409 B9A2944-A) was named by the Vilani scouts who first surveyed the 
  system whilst exploring the Eperdish main. The name comes from ancient mythology: the 
  place where corrupt souls dwell in eternal torment. It has a planetary gravity of a crushing 3 
  G, an atmosphere that can bring explosions from a spark, let alone a fire, and if breathed for 
  too long will cause respiratory damage, and a summer to winter temperature change of 
  around 70 degrees Celsius. At the latitudes most heavily settled this means a base 
  temperature ranging from about –20C in Winter to about +40 C in Summer. The planet has a 
  great deal of seismic activity, with several active volcanoes and fault-lines. Add to this the 
  aggressive native life forms that have evolved to thrive in such an environment, and it is 
  obvious why nine out of every ten of the first settlers arriving on the planet died within a year 
  of arrival. 
  The difficulties of settlement were in fact so great that it was not settled at all during the First 
  Imperium, despite being quite resource-rich and a single jump from the developing colony 
  world of Eperdish. However, it was during the First Imperium that it began to be used as a 
  prison planet, its name becoming ironically a self-fulfilling prophecy. Karaganda became one 
  of the most notorious of the Empire’s dumping-grounds for criminals and exiles. Convicts 
  were dumped on the surface with a minimum of survival gear and left to fend for themselves. 
  The authorities never set foot on the planet, but monitored convicts from orbit. The survival 
  rate was incredibly low, but many desperate Vilani chose exile on Karaganda and a chance 
  to build a life for themselves away from the Empire in exchange for the complete dropping of 
  charges and clearing of the family name that such exile bought. A Karagandi was legally a 
  non-entity, as soon as he was put on the planet all records relating to him were destroyed, it 
  was as if he had never existed. Over time small settlements developed on the surface as 
  survivors banded together, and these were tolerated by the authorities as long as no 
  attempts were made to build spacecraft.  
  With the coming of the Rule of Man, Karaganda was settled by pioneers who saw its 
  environment as a challenge to be met. These settlers were largely descended from the 
  peoples of Siberia and Central Asia on Terra, for whom the climate of Karaganda at least did 
  not seem too extreme. The high mortality rate amongst the Solomani settlers encouraged 
  the development of close links with the Karagandi, who had learnt how to adapt to the 
  planet. The two groups soon merged, forming a united Karagandi culture combining aspects 
  of the Solomani settlers’ culture with the unique survivor’s culture that had developed 
  amongst the Vilani exiles. Karaganda continued to be used as a prison planet, but with the 
  coming of settlers a spaceport was now constructed on-planet in the city of Lameshid. 
  Starships have to be specially modified with additional thrust to achieve escape velocity from 
  the planet’s gravity, making trade links difficult to maintain. It was during this period that the 
  practice of facial tattooing (usually geometric shapes and patterns) began amongst the 
  Karagandi, as in accordance with Imperial law no Karagandi could leave the planet, so they 
  must be easily identifiable. Settlers were not required to stay on the planet, but over time the 
  facial tattoo and vow never to leave became a mark of pride within Karagandi culture. By this 
  point many Karagandi were of mixed convict-settler ancestry, and most were at least fourth 
  or fifth generation Karagandi, physically adapted to their planet and little inclined to leave 
  anyway. 
  Karagandi culture is built on the conviction that all true Karagandi (those born on the planet 
  or who have survived on the planet for a period of at least ten years) are equals. It is 
  irrelevant who or what you were before you became Karagandi, and it is considered the 
  height of bad taste to ask about family history. The characteristic Karagandi is a rugged 
  individualist, who considers himself superior to any non-Karagandi (a pre-supposition 
  reinforced by the abject helplessness of any off-worlder who arrives on planet, and the over-
  developed musculature and lightning reflexes of all native Karagandi in comparison to off-
  worlders). This pseudo-supremacist attitude is made more acceptable by the fact that most 
  Karagandi manifest it primarily by patronising, over-protective and paternalistic/maternalistic 
  attitudes towards weak off-worlders rather than by boasting or arrogance. Karagandi do not 
  
  feel a need to assert their superiority to off-worlders when it is so obvious. All Karagandi 
  must be able to survive on the planet by themselves or they will die. Increased urbanisation 
  has meant that many Karagandi do not actually have to survive in the wilds of the planet, 
  and are protected from the extremes of temperature, but the excessively heavy gravity 
  affects everyone – a small slip can kill or cripple for life. Despite the strong emphasis on 
  rugged individualism in Karagandi culture (no Karagandi can respect a Myshnik “one unable 
  to stand up for themselves” (a phrase to be taken entirely literally on Karaganda)), there is 
  also a strong emphasis on family and clan. “No man can fight the planet alone” is a 
  Karagandi saying. Karaganda’s population is fairly dispersed between widespread cities that 
  are the dwellings of particular clans. 
  Karagandi have a complex attitude towards Karaganda itself. As the above saying reveals 
  there is a strong feeling that the planet is the enemy, to be struggled against and always 
  treated with caution. However, perhaps even stronger is the feeling that Karaganda is a sort 
  of “promised land”, a haven of freedom, a place of new beginnings, above all a homeland for 
  those with no homeland. Karagandi, by the symbolic act of taking the tattoo and swearing 
  the life-oath (now not taken quite so literally, and interpreted as a radical identification of 
  oneself with the planet, and a vow to die or be buried on the planet), bind themselves to the 
  planet just as surely as they bind themselves to each other. 
  The Solomani colonists were genetically modified to enable them to withstand the high G 
  force of the planet (it is this that gives Karagandi their characteristic endomorph build, heavy 
  musculature, and “puffy” eyelids), but even so all Karagandi must wear pressure suits next to 
  their skin to operate at close to “normal” speeds on the planet. (Karagandi clothing tends to 
  always be baggy or long and flowing in order to be able to cover a pressure suit). Karagandi 
  homes have gravitic controls to allow interior gravity to be reduced to a tolerable 2G. Off-
  worlders who must visit the planet typically use a “grav-chair” (TL11, an import from 
  Eperdish), a throne-like anti-grav unit. Karagandi and off-worlders alike wear breath masks. 
  Although the planet’s air is breathable, lengthy exposure can cause long term respiratory 
  health problems. Despite all the adaptions to the environment, Karagandi life expectancy is 
  significantly lower than standard, meaning that those in positions of authority are often 
  comparatively young. 
  The flora and fauna of the planet continue to pose major threats to the population. Amongst 
  plants the “scattergun” family are particularly dangerous. These plants reproduce by 
  shooting out a barrage of hard seeds at high velocity (the force involved has to be 
  considerable to make any headway against this gravity) when they sense an animal passing 
  by. The seeds can then burrow down through the dead carcass into the ground, ensuring 
  that the soil has rich nutrients. Amongst the fauna two predators are particularly feared: the 
  Volkhini and the Raagi or “tree-worms”. The Volkhini are aggressive pack animals, four-
  legged, powerfully built mammals with a “puffy” skin that give them a superficial and 
  deceptive resemblance to a fat Terran swine (the “wild boar”). They average about a metre 
  and a half from snout to tail, stand about half a metre off the ground, and have a thick coat of 
  greyish hair, which they tend to shed during the summer. The Raag is a solitary predator, 
  resembling a giant maggot. Raag can be anything between two and five metres in length, 
  and have a girth of around half a metre. Their skin is remarkably resilient, and they are able 
  to sustain a great deal of impact damage. Their preferred method of attack is to climb a tree 
  or cliff and drop on a creature passing below, hopefully crippling them and rendering them 
  relatively immobile. The Raag can then feed on them at leisure. 
  History 
  By the time the Rule of Man came to an end, the long process of adapting to the needs of 
  survival on Karaganda was largely complete. The population had stabilised, and was slowly 
  growing, as a majority of Karagandi children now survived to adulthood. Agriculture and 
  manufacturing had developed sufficiently to meet the needs of the population. Karaganda 
  was entirely self-supporting, and the wilfully independent attitude of Karagandi meant that 
  the Long Wait, when contact with other worlds slowly stopped, was not seen in anywhere 
  
  near as dark a light as it was elsewhere. As far as the Karagandi were concerned, if the rest 
  of the sector was leaving them to go it alone that was fine with them. When no new 
  Planetary Administrator was sent to the Karaganda colonial office, the Karagandi called a 
  clan council and elected one of their own number to be Planetary Administrator. The colonial 
  office was slowly, by means of various reforms, transformed into an elected planetary 
  government. During the Long Wait the population continued to steadily increase, and 
  settlements spread further afield, even as scientific knowledge and technical expertise in 
  areas not directly connected to survival needs declined. The average Tech Level dropped to 
  around TL6, with interstellar travel capability declining very early. However, in the key areas 
  of personal military technology, communications, land and air transportation, and certain 
  areas of environmental engineering technology (particularly relating to High G environmental 
  tech and seismic activity prediction) a high tech level was maintained. Throughout the Long 
  Wait Karaganda maintained a satellite communications network, armed its Planetary 
  Rangers with ballistic cloth armour and assault rifles, and utilised high-powered triphibian 
  vehicles. 
  Re-contact was made by traders from Eperdish in 3980, and Karaganda was able to slowly 
  increase its tech level by making deals with traders operating out of Eperdish and 
  Gekarkagushaam. For a long time, however, Karaganda had little interest in interstellar 
  relations or restoring its own independent interstellar capability. Its main exportable 
  commodity was its people. Karagandi mercenary units were employed by Eperdish in a 
  number of conflicts with the Grand Duchies to Rimward, acquiring a considerable reputation 
  for themselves as tough disciplined troops. It was the rise of the Dishani Combine and its 
  expansionistic policies that brought a dramatic change in Karagandi attitudes. Lacking a 
  significant star fleet, Karaganda could not hope to stand alone against the Combine should 
  the Combine seek to assert its control over the Rimward reaches of the subsector. The need 
  to ensure Karaganda’s continued independence provoked a pendulum swing in interstellar 
  policy. The Lameshid Accords of 4364 with Gekarkagushaam established the Lameshid 
  Confederacy between the two worlds, a defensive and trading partnership to enable both to 
  stand against the Combine. The close links with Gekarkagushaam have enabled Karaganda 
  to reach TL 10 (though its military technology and transportation is at TL11). Karaganda 
  supplies the bulk of the Confederacy’s soldiery, but has never developed a significant star 
  fleet of its own, and in time of war is largely dependent on privateers, and on the 
  Gekarkagushaam navy. Karagandi are generally positive about the Confederacy, and the 
  reasons for its formation remain as strong as ever, but they are often privately contemptuous 
  of their Myshniki allies, and very suspicious of the Conclave, who are the embodiment of the 
  sort of Vilani structures that Karagandi society self-consciously rejects. 
  Government 
  Karagandi government is a representative democracy. All adult Karagandi are entitled to 
  vote unless they are insane or imprisoned. Each city elects a number of Metropolitan 
  Representatives in proportion to its population. These sit in the Duma, which is the 
  legislative body of the planet. The Duma contains various political parties, and one or a 
  coalition of these form a government following the election (every ten years). The head of 
  the government is the First Councillor, who chairs the Council of Planetary Administration, 
  the executive body of the planet. The Judiciary is entirely separate. Each city has six High 
  Judges, elected from amongst its lawyers by the citizens every time there is a vacancy (the 
  Judges serve for life unless removed by a majority vote of the Great Court). Ten from 
  amongst the planet’s High Judges are picked at random to serve staggered five year terms 
  at the Great Court (i.e. two are picked each year), which is the highest judicial body of the 
  planet, ruling on matters of constitutional law, or at trials of members of the government or 
  legislature. It is also the highest court of appeal. 
  The main political parties are the Old Institutionalists (conservative, pragmatic, with an 
  emphasis on law and order), the Radical Liberal Party (a strong emphasis on individual 
  freedoms and rights), and the Veterans Alliance (essentially a pragmatic interest group 
  representing retired members of the military and their families, who make up a significant 
  
  proportion of the population). All are pro-Confederacy, though the Radical Liberals in 
  particular tend to be concerned that the Confederacy bureaucracy needs to be more open to 
  public scrutiny. 
  The cities tend to have considerable autonomy from the central government. The city 
  councillors are elected separately from the MRs, and wield considerably more power on a 
  local basis. The planetary government tends to regulate matters relating to defence, 
  interstellar trade, inter-city relations, and law (law enforcement is organised on a local level, 
  but the judiciary and legislature is organised on a planet-wide basis). 
  First Councillor Khamed Gaamri is in his late thirties, almost at retirement age by Karagandi 
  standards. He is a career politician from the Old Institutionalist party. His government is 
  formed by a coalition with the Veterans Alliance. Khamed is mid-way through his term of 
  office, and currently riding low in the polls. He is expected to retire from politics on 
  completing his term, and speculation is mounting as to who will succeed him as leader of the 
  Old Institutionalists, and if they will be able to maintain the occasionally shaky coalition. 
  Corporations 
  Karaganda is home to a number of powerful corporations, mainly based around the planet’s 
  mercenary troops and military industry. These corporations (and their troops) are known 
  collectively as the KIL (Karagandi Interstellar Legions). They are independent of the 
  government and the Karagandi (and Confederacy) military, but are nevertheless Karagandi. 
  The cultural identification with the planet is very strong, and in times when Karaganda has 
  appeared to be under threat it has been known for KIL units engaged in conflicts elsewhere 
  to spontaneously cancel their contracts, return their pay, and return home to join planetary 
  defence forces. The most important of the KIL are al-Hidek, VarGesh, and Johl Isdaak. 
  A number of interstellar corporations are influential on the planet, most notably Sytaëf ApK. 
  Generally these corporations supply high tech equipment  - the military industry makes much 
  use of imported high-tech weaponry, and there is much interest in recent developments in 
  gravitic technology. 
  Religion 
  Karaganda, unlike most worlds with a history of Vilani settlement, is dominated by Solomani 
  religions. Whilst some Karagandi are devotees of the Vilani religions, the planet’s Vilani 
  heritage derives from criminals, misfits, and exiles many of whom rejected conventional 
  faiths. By contrast, the Solomani settlers were by and large devout followers of either 
  Orthodox Christianity (the Karagandi Orthodox are in communion with the United Slavonic 
  Rite Orthodox of Mamgaashi and Eperdish), or Sunni Islam. These faiths are followed by the 
  majority of the population, and the concepts of on the one hand Jihad (primarily in terms of 
  struggle against the planet), and on the other Cosmic Redemption (again, primarily in terms 
  of the planet) have sunk deep into the popular psyche. 
  Crime 
  Karaganda has a moderate law level. It is quite usual for Karagandi in more isolated areas to 
  go about fairly heavily armed, though within cities this is frowned on. However, each citizen 
  has a constitutional right to bear arms. Police forces are also correspondingly armed, and 
  gunfights on the streets of major cities are not unknown. The fact that a large proportion of 
  the population has had military training exacerbates the problem, as does the propensity of 
  veterans to engage in vigilante action. Criminals often target off-worlders, manifestly 
  vulnerable on Karaganda, and many hire Karagandi “minders”.  
  The criminal underworld on the planet is dominated by the Snippers, gangs known for their 
  propensity to remove the toes of those who oppose them. Snippers are organised into 
  brotherhoods, fiercely loyal to their leaders, known as “Uncles”. There is considerable rivalry 
  between different Snipper brotherhoods. 
  
  Mamgaashi  
  Mamgaashi (0509 C 300875-9) has often been described as “a worthless chunk of rock”, the 
  off-the-record comment of the initial survey team being merely the first amongst many such 
  dismissive evaluations. A vacuum world in a backwater subsector with few redeeming 
  features, it had little about it to encourage development. It was finally settled largely because 
  of the need first of all for some sort of starport facility in the system, (which, for J1 craft is a 
  crucial link between Gekarkagushaam and Karaganda), and secondly because of the 
  demands for heavy metals for the developing industrial sites on Gekarkagushaam. The 
  adventurous miners and prospectors who settled the planet established a love-hate 
  relationship with their grim world that has endured. Mamgaashites often talk of their planet in 
  the most dismissive and derogatory terms, but woe betide any off-worlder who echoes such 
  sentiments in their presence. The population is of mixed Vilani and Solomani (mainly 
  Slavonic) descent, but has now thoroughly mixed. The nature of the planet has encouraged 
  individual settlements to be concentrated in close proximity to each other in case of 
  emergency, but areas of settlement may be separated from each other by thousands of 
  miles, as they were built to take advantage of different mineral seams. Settlements take the 
  form of enclosed arcologies which are often built largely underground. Areas of settlement 
  are typically close to mountain ranges, reflecting the early link to mining. Power supplies are 
  plentiful on the planet, but food and water is limited. Each city has impressive hydroponics 
  and recycling facilities, which during the Darkest Years enabled the planet to survive 
  independently, a period that also gave Mamgaashites their reputation for thrift, endurance, 
  and self-sacrifice. However, as renewed trade has allowed living standards to rise once 
  more, the population is becoming increasingly dependent on imports from off-world. On 
  occasions when governments have been forced to rely on their own resources, the sharp 
  downturn in living conditions has sometimes sparked riots. 
  History 
  Under the Rule of Man, the colonial office on Mamgaashi was situated in First City, which is 
  also the location of the planet’s starport. With the beginning of the Darkest Years the 
  planetary administration collapsed. The various planetary regions were left to manage their 
  own affairs. A variety of different governmental systems arose in different areas, and despite 
  a number of wars between them, none was ever able to claim dominance. During this period 
  sporadic contact with neighbouring systems was maintained, especially in the Plains cities 
  and their allies, (though principally through the initiative of corporations based in those 
  neighbouring systems) but more isolated or opposed regions suffered increasing deprivation. 
  All cities endured terrible conditions, and every city has legends of the heroism, tragedy, and 
  sheer horror that marked this period. During the Darkest Years many cities, and some entire 
  regions were lost, either through war, famine, or life-support failure through lack of 
  replacement parts (the so-called “Mughamkhiram Syndrome”). Most notoriously, the Plains 
  Republic, engaged in a Cold War with neighbouring regions, imposed a blockade on vital off-
  world replacement parts which directly or indirectly brought about the collapse of at least one 
  of them (this is remembered as the Silent War of 3342-3398). Some of these “ghost cities” 
  have been reclaimed (and usually re-named), whilst others have simply been sealed off. The 
  Dead Regions, by contrast, are avoided superstitiously by all. A further record of the period 
  is the Day of the Dead, an annual remembrance of the Dead of the Darkest Years. This is 
  observed in all the regions by wearing black arm-bands and by a complete media silence 
  and ban on out-of-region travel. The starport is closed for the day. 
  The rise of the Dishani Combine has proved the biggest spur to unity since the collapse of 
  the planetary administration. An unprecedented Mamgaashi Council was called at the 
  instigation of envoys of the Lameshid Confederacy, and representatives of all the Regional 
  Governments agreed to join rather than be absorbed by the Combine. The further proposal 
  to make the Mamgaashi Council a permanent body was rejected by a majority of the 
  representatives on the suspicion that it would be dominated by the Plains Republic. The 
  agreement to join the Confederacy remains the only action ever taken by the Mamgaashi 
  Council. 
  
  There is no united planetary defence force. Each Region maintains its own military, which 
  are all of approximately equivalent proficiency. The Regions defence forces are primarily 
  oriented towards attack against each other, comprising land forces and interplanetary space 
  vessels (each Region has land forces greater than those possessed by some planets). Each 
  Region has at least one interstellar military vessel (the Republic has a squadron), but in the 
  case of a planetary assault Mamgaashi calls on its allies in the Confederacy. 
  The Regional Governments 
  The term “RegGov” (identified by reference to the capital city i.e. “First City RegGov”) and 
  corresponding designation of Regional rulers as “Regius” (pl. Regii) is the official (and 
  neutral) terminology adopted by diplomatic envoys of the Lameshid Confederacy, and 
  typically also used by the Dishani Combine, Third Imperium, or other off-world groups 
  engaged in business with Mamgaashi governments. The various Mamgaashi Regii often 
  refuse to accept the legitimacy of each others’ full titles. Mamgaashites will refer to their own 
  Regius by their given title, and to others by derogatory versions of them (e.g. The AntiChrist 
  of Raalshir, or The Demagogue of the Plains). 
  The Plains Republic 
  The oldest of all the RegGovs, the Republic of Mamgaashi is a representative democracy, 
  ruled by the Senate, which sits in First City, and is presided over by the Consul of 
  Mamgaashi. Its possession of the planet’s starport has meant that it has suffered less 
  deprivation than other Regions (though this is an evaluation in comparative terms). It has 
  always been the most powerful of the RegGovs, and at various times in the past has had a 
  technological edge over them. However, alliances amongst its enemies (and the RegGov 
  has historically never allied with any of the other RegGovs) and a lack of political will have 
  prevented it from dominating the planet. 
  Consul Alexei Lanaadri is a charismatic and popular professional politician. A middle-aged 
  man, he has recently been elected Consul for a second five-year term. His party, the Open 
  Sky party, which favours free trade and close links with other Confederacy worlds, has a 
  sizeable majority over the Old Plainsmen opposition party, who prefer more intervention in 
  the economy to bolster the mining industry. Both parties are fairly moderate in their policies, 
  and united in having a basic suspicion of the other RegGovs, and asserting the Republic’s 
  primacy. 
  The Northstar Federation 
  The Federation is about a century old, the product of a civil war within the Northern Region, 
  in which the ancient Northern Administrative Assembly (an Impersonal Bureaucracy) was 
  overthrown by a revolutionary group, The Halazic Commando, backed by the Plains 
  Republic. The Federation formed to defeat the Commando, and had as its core the military 
  and police forces of the NAA, allied with various other interest groups centred in the city of 
  Northstar. After a long campaign the Federation triumphed, and formed an emergency 
  government whilst rooting out the last supporters of the Commando. This emergency 
  government has since ossified into a Civil Service Bureaucracy, notable primarily for its 
  hostility towards the Plains Republic and draconian anti-subversion and anti-terrorism laws. 
  The ruler of the Federation is known as the Governor of the Northern Region.  
  Governor Maria Kasadich is notable for being the first Federation Governor not to be career 
  military. In fact she was previously the Director of Federation Intelligence (FedInt), and is 
  notorious for the trust she puts in her Intelligence advisors. A woman cautious to the point of 
  paranoia, she has conducted a purge of senior government in an effort to root out 
  Commando agents. She is believed to be channelling a significant proportion of Federation 
  resources into covert operations directed against the Plains Republic, though the objective of 
  such operations remains uncertain. 
  The Autarchy of Kalazhor 
  The Autarchy of Kalazhor was founded about a millennia ago, at the end of the Darkest 
  Years, when Kalazhor finally asserted its dominance over the other cities of the region. The 
  
  Autarchy was a Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy, with the Autarch always being a scion of one of 
  a number of aristocratic families that ruled Kalazhor. However, the Autarchy’s relative 
  isolation from other RegGovs, compounded by the Dead Region between it and the Plains 
  Republic, made the ruling oligarchy increasingly dependent on the Taskonaal-Leith 
  corporation, which, from its original standing as the RegGov’s primary haulage contractor 
  and exporter, had gradually acquired an all-but total control over out-Region transport. 
  Taskonaal-Leith used its powerful position to become a major player in the Autarchy’s 
  internal politics. The Autarch is now little more than a T-L puppet, appointed as the 
  corporation’s favoured candidate, and forced to enact the policies T-L suggests. 
  Autarch Barak Naeril is a teenager, and believed to be an imbecile to boot. He has little 
  grasp of politics and less interest. He spends most of his time within the confines of the 
  palace, occasionally making brief appearances at state functions. As far as T-L are 
  concerned, this makes him an ideal Autarch (his occasionally embarrassing social 
  inadequacies notwithstanding), and it is rumoured that they keep him carefully sedated 
  whenever he makes public appearances. 
  Director Arkady Shaashih of Taskonaal-Leith is an able and ambitious man. He has high 
  hopes of being able to dispense with the Autarch altogether within his directorship, and 
  being the first Director to rule the Region directly. These internal affairs take up much of his 
  time, but he is also interested in building better links with the Plains Republic, and thus 
  having more of a say in the administration of the starport. 
  The Ganaai Empire 
  The Ganaai Empire is about five centuries old, and is the latest of a long series of different 
  forms of government that have ruled the North Finore Region. The Region is renowned for 
  its political instability, and few expected the Empire to last as long as it has. Few would 
  expect it to last much longer. As it is, the present Emperor, although claiming continuity with 
  his predecessors, has practically nothing in common with them. The Empire has been ruled 
  by a succession of dictators, some of whom have courted (and sometimes received) mass 
  adulation, some of whom have ruled by terror and oppression. Policies have varied wildly, as 
  have modes of succession (only a Ganaaian historian would claim to be able to tell how 
  many “legitimate” Emperors there have been, and occasionally “pretenders” are officially 
  rehabilitated and “legitimate monarchs” demonised by Emperors seeking precedents for their 
  own actions). 
  Emperor Galaes Yeraavin succeeded his father (who won the throne in a military coup) to 
  the throne. He is concerned to gain the approval of the people for the new dynasty (and 
  fearful of a revolution against him), and is engaged in a large-scale media campaign and 
  public works projects to do so. The Emperor is also attempting to carve a role for himself on 
  the world scene, throwing himself into inter-regional politics. The Empire is currently in a 
  state of uneasy peace with the Republic and the Federation, in a loose defensive alliance 
  with the Autarchy, and engaged in an on-off war with the Protectorate. 
  The Protectorate 
  The Protectorate of the Holy Patriarch of Raalshir, to give the RegGov its full title, is probably 
  the most stable of all the RegGovs, and the second oldest, after the Plains Republic. At a 
  quite early period in the Darkest Years, the Orthodox Church in the Region asserted its 
  spiritual authority in calling all citizens to work together for the good of all. The people of 
  Raalshir, who always had a high percentage of Orthodox believers, accepted the benevolent 
  oversight of the Church as a much-needed source of social cohesion. The centuries of 
  struggle and sacrifice bolstered the Church’s secular authority and the religiosity of the 
  Region’s citizens, whilst politicising the Church’s hierarchy quite thoroughly. The 
  Protectorate is a Religious Autocracy, which is largely benevolent, but notably hard-line in its 
  vice and drug legislation (The Patriarchs have wisely never attempted prohibition legislation, 
  but all drugs other than alcohol and nicotine are strictly controlled). The inevitable blurring of 
  spiritual and political perspectives has meant that the Patriarchs routinely excommunicate 
  criminals and enemies of the state. 
  
  Patriarch Kyril Christafilos is elderly and very conservative in his views. His particular area of 
  concern is education. He has re-introduced the compulsory study of Church Slavonic (an 
  ancient and largely-forgotten Old Terran language, used only in certain religious documents) 
  and study of the decrees of the church councils into the school curriculum. His only other act 
  of significance has been his refusal to recognise the apostolicity of the Metropolitan of First 
  City, despite much-improved relations with the Republic, and his declaration that the entire 
  population of the Ganaai Empire is excommunicate as a response to the resumption of 
  hostilities. 
  Corporations 
  Mamgaashi has largely evaded the widespread corporate involvement in government that 
  typifies other Confederacy worlds. The only exception to this is Taskonaal-Leith who 
  effectively rule one of the RegGovs. T-L was originally a mining and prospecting company, 
  operating both on Mamgaashi itself and on various other worlds in the system. It now also 
  engages in export of mineral ores and interregional and interstellar haulage (especially the 
  two-way trade with Gekarkagushaam, where ores are exchanged for manufactured goods). 
  T-L is the most powerful corporation on the planet, and although a number of other inter-
  regional corporations exist, none have anywhere near the influence of T-L. Sytaëf ApK have 
  a controlling stake in the importation of luxury goods to the planet (and in a Mamgaashi 
  context many otherwise normal foodstuffs are considered “luxuries”), and are believed to 
  own shares in T-L through third parties. The only other corporation of note is Ringrunner 
  Inc., who are based in the system and provide interstellar haulage, salvage, space vessel 
  repair and rescue services. The corporation is notorious for its alleged links to smugglers 
  and pirates. It has certainly been able to put RegGovs in touch with privateers in the past. 
  Religion 
  As is the case in all planets with a dispersed population, there are adherents of most 
  religions on Mamgaashi. Perhaps because of their cultural origins and perhaps because of 
  the suffering during the Darkest Years the vast majority of the population profess some sort 
  of religious faith. The most widespread faiths are the United Slavonic Rite Orthodox church, 
  Islam, and the Irkhu Mugriima. There are also statistically significant Jewish communities in 
  most cities, who often live together in ghettos. In some regions the Darkest Years saw a 
  number of anti-Jewish pogroms, typically on the suspicion that the ghetto-dwellers were 
  hoarding vital food or supplies. 
  The United Slavonic Rite Orthodox church is a theologically and socially highly conservative 
  Orthodox church. The liturgy is performed entirely in Church Slavonic. Each city has its own 
  Metropolitan, and each region has its own Patriarch. None of the Patriarchs is seen as 
  having primacy, though historically First City is the oldest See and this carries some weight 
  within a church that places such importance in tradition. The Patriarchate of Raalshir is 
  unique in also exercising the powers of regional government. The overt politicisation of this 
  See has meant it is regarded with some suspicion by other Sees, though generally regarded 
  as part of the Orthodox communion, however misguided its bishops might be. The Darkest 
  Years caused some irregularities in the apostolic succession of some Sees, which is the 
  dubious historical basis for the Patriarch of Raalshir’s current (and overtly political) refusal to 
  recognise the apostolicity of the Patriarch of First City. 
  Islam is particularly dominant in the Northstar Federation and the Autarchy of Kalazhor, but a 
  sizeable proportion of the population is Islamic in most regions (except for the Protectorate). 
  The faith is Sunni, and not centralised, with each city typically having a large number of 
  mosques. There are Imams in each city, and councils are occasionally held on a regional 
  basis to discuss important matters, but almost never on a planetary basis. 
  The Irkhu Mugriima is particularly dominant in the Ganaai Empire, but again, a sizeable 
  proportion of the population are adherents in most regions except the Protectorate (and 
  some combine their faith with Islam or Orthodoxy, a syncretism deplored by both faiths). 
  Temples dedicated to the Five ancient Gaakamgagi can be found in most cities, and in each 
  
  region a number of local Favoured have been added to the roll of honour, usually in memory 
  of acts of heroism performed in the founding of cities or during the Darkest Years. 
  Crime 
  The planet’s UWP for law level is 5. This is in fact an average rating, and does not reflect the 
  peculiarities of law enforcement in different regions. The Plains Republic, Ganaai Empire, 
  and the Autarchy of Kalazhor can be assumed to have this level. The Protectorate in general 
  has this level, but in matters relating to public indecency, vice, or drug use is probably more 
  accurately rated at 10+. The Servants of the Just Judge (or Stooges, as they are known 
  colloquially), the semi-monastic law enforcement agency of the Protectorate exercise zero-
  tolerance of infringements of this aspect of the legal code (for example possession of drugs 
  or pornographic material), and if they suspect someone of being a smuggler of such items 
  they can be downright antagonistic. The Northstar Federation seems to be slowly creeping 
  up the scale towards being a police state, but at present is probably rated somewhere 
  around 11 or 12. 
  As might be expected, Mamgaashi has a thriving black market and smuggling of off-world 
  luxury goods is a particularly profitable business. The generic term for the various organised 
  crime rings is “Mafia”, a word of uncertain Solomani derivation. The most significant 
  planetary Mafia is that run by Rill Zakovitch, who is alleged to have his base in one of the 
  cities of the Plains Republic, but has operatives in almost every city on the planet. Zakovitch 
  is alleged to have senior members of most of the RegGovs on his payroll (with the notable 
  exception of the Patriarchate, where the Mafia have had considerable difficulty making 
  headway), and the Zakovitch Mafia has been known to have rigged the Republic Consular 
  elections in the past. 
  The other significant area of criminal activity within the system is piracy. Although 
  Mamgaashi itself is not exactly rich pickings, its location, between Gekarkagushaam and 
  Karaganda, the lack of a significant space-borne police force in the system, and the wealth 
  of deserted and unwatched locations (in the system at large and even on the surface of 
  Mamgaashi itself) make it ideal as a base for pirates. Occasionally the piracy gets so bad 
  that the Confederacy is forced to hire privateers (usually pirates themselves) to destroy the 
  pirate bases, but by and large the system is a haven for them. 
  
  The Independent & Non-Aligned Worlds.  
   
  INDEPENDENT WORLDS IN DETAIL. 
  Arzareth. 
  Arzareth (0308 E531124-8) 
   
  Arzareth is not a particularly hospitable world. Its very thin atmosphere, very low 
  hydrographics and very eccentric orbit give it a widely varying temperature. For most of the 
  year it is too hot for human habitation (at times reaching up to 88.5C in summer), but when it 
  is at its furthest distance from its star in winter it can drop to a moderate 8.5C. This massive 
  temperature variation and very thin atmosphere has produced flora and fauna with very short 
  lifespans and an abnormally high level of mutation. Each generation is different from the one 
  before it, and ecosystems change from year to year. Arzareth has no known lifeforms of any 
  notable size (though rumours persist of giant earthworm-type creatures that almost never 
  break the surface), but it seems to have a plethora of micro-organisms hostile to human life. 
  
  Dashlaar 
  Dashlaar (0308 C558557-8)  
   
  Dashlaar has always been a fairly minor world, with a low population scattered over its 
  surface. While the planetary atmosphere is officially rated as 'thin', (UWP 5) the atmospheric 
  pressure of 0.429 bars renders it as only marginally within this classification. For all but the 
  least strenuous of tasks the inhabitants use compressors on a daily basis. Consequently 
  vehicles and houses are typically sealed, with carefully regulated internal air supplies. 
  Dashlaar has no major or minor continents, but instead has a large number of scattered 
  islands and archipelagos. The planet’s main industries have always been marine-based: 
  fishing, and farming of the various sea-weeds, and the fish of Dashlaar were exported to 
  worlds throughout the sector during both the First and Second Imperiums. The vast majority 
  of the population have always been involved in these industries. The population is almost 
  entirely Vilani, as few Solomani colonists were attracted to the planet-sized fish farm. Those 
  that were tended to come from cultures with a strong maritime tradition, and were swiftly 
  integrated within the existing Dashlaari culture. The sea-farmers of Dashlaar, always living in 
  small, widely dispersed, and tight-knit communities, and spending much of their time at sea, 
  had already developed an independent, free-spirited, and superstitious culture before the 
  beginning of the Interregnum. The long years of isolation only worked to heighten this. Few 
  Dashlaari ever bothered to learn Anglic, as the language was only used for official 
  documents, and for negotiating with off-world traders. In fact the language was hardly ever 
  used outside of Skyport, or the other major ports. Within their own communities, and on their 
  ships, the Dashlaari spoke [Vilani language]. Over time, different communities have 
  developed highly distinctive dialects, though Anglic has continued to be used superstitiously 
  as the language of trade – all contracts and commercial dealings must be recorded in Anglic 
  to be binding. The majority of the population speak only a dialect of [Vilani], but Anglic is 
  studied by those who negotiate on behalf of their ship or community. To offworlders, 
  Dashlaari, with their harshly accented Anglic, often with poor, obscure, or overly formal 
  grammar, seem backward and primitive. The typical Dashlaari is in fact largely incurious 
  about the universe outside Dashlaar, and distrustful of that outside of his experience. Those 
  wanting to find out more about other worlds tend to find their way to Skyport, other Dashlaari 
  stay in such places only long enough to sell their catch, then return to sea. 
  History 
  Dashlaar was settled to provide food for colonies on worlds elsewhere in the subsector. It 
  was not heavily settled itself, but relied on large semi-automated “floating factory” ships to 
  harvest, clean, and preserve fish and seaweed. Communities developed on scattered 
  islands around the support facilities for these large harvest ships. The planetary population 
  remained relatively stable, with a high death rate amongst seamen. This continued 
  throughout the first and second Imperiums, with Dashlaar exporting seafood to Irbicht, the 
  worlds of the Eperdish Main and the Dishani Cluster. The colonial office and trading centre 
  at Skyport ostensibly comprised the centre of planetary administration, but had little direct 
  contact with most Dashlaari. 
  The collapse of interstellar trade hit Dashlaar hard. The planet had practically no 
  manufacturing capability of its own, and imported many goods. The captains of the “floating 
  factories” found there was no market for their cargoes, and vital replacement parts could not 
  be found. One by one the large harvest ships stopped working. Most were left anchored off 
  Skyport, their last unwanted cargoes rotting in their hulls. Fishermen began to use much 
  smaller lower tech craft that they could maintain, and caught only enough for their own 
  communities, with a small surplus for trade. As interstellar contact was lost, the planet’s 
  sustainable tech level plummeted to 5, and the various scattered communities became quite 
  isolated. A maritime trading culture slowly developed. There was a great awareness of 
  having lost vital expertise, and also of the incredible vulnerability of many of these 
  communities, some of which were lost through storms or floods. This proved a great spur to 
  recover lost technology, particularly any that would increase chances of survival. This lead to 
  
  the development of a rather strange institution – the Scientists of Skyport. All those who had 
  some knowledge of or concern for technology gathered at Skyport, forming the Skyport 
  Research Faculty. Traders and sailors would bring them remnants of lost tech (or more 
  rarely books or manuals) or news of innovations developed by far-flung villages. Initially 
  there was little the Scientists could give in return, but over the decades they gradually began 
  to be able to repay those who helped them with technological upgrades. As they began to 
  make genuine progress, and the chances of discovering lost tech became slimmer, they 
  began to ask for students. Communities who chose to could send one of their children to 
  study with the Scientists. They hardly ever returned, but the loss to the community was offset 
  by the chance that more technology would be discovered to be shared. Not all communities 
  supported the Scientists. Some were profoundly suspicious of them, and as a consequence 
  continue to operate at TL6 or lower, often eschewing contact with communities employing 
  “newfangled gadgetry”. 
  By the time Dashlaar was re-contacted by traders from Gekarkagushaam and Eperdish, it 
  had regained TL7. Skyport had become more nearly a planetary capital than ever, ruled by 
  the Scientists, and with a population of around 300,000. Skyport contains the planet’s main 
  (fairly minimal) manufacturing capabilities. It is built half on land and half on sea, having 
  been partially built over the cannibalised hulls of the ancient “floating factories”. With the 
  restoration of interstellar trade, the Dashlaari have once again begun farming for large 
  harvests, exporting sea food to neighbouring worlds. They have also been able to regain 
  TL8, though in the process they have once again become dependent on manufactured 
  goods from offworld. Dashlaari have shown little interest in interstellar politics, and have 
  avoided siding with either the Combine or Confederacy. 
  Government 
  The closest thing Dashlaar has to a planetary government is the Skyport Research Faculty. 
  The Scientists rule Skyport (including the starport facility), where all major trade occurs, and 
  control much of the planet’s production. They receive the income from starport taxes. They 
  speak for the planet in any negotiation with offworlders (except for commercial transactions, 
  in which ship’s captains negotiate directly with interstellar traders). Skyport Law is absolute 
  in Skyport itself, and is respected over most of the planet, enforced by the Skyport Sea 
  Patrol, a naval force established primarily to fight piracy. The Scientists function as a Feudal 
  Technocracy. They control technology and share it with those who help and support them. 
  The Scientists have a variety of political views and outlooks. The Faculty has an 
  Administrative Committee (amongst its many other more highly-regarded committees, which 
  decide on funding for different areas of research) which is effectively the Skyport city council. 
  The Administrative Committee is seen within the Faculty as a whole as a distraction from the 
  serious work of the Faculty and tends to be made up of second-rate researchers (some of 
  whom are actually good administrators, but most of whom are not). So as not to take up too 
  much of the Faculty members’ time, the Administrative Committee has established a number 
  of sub-committees to deal with the day to day business of running the city. These sub-
  committees (such as the Judicial sub-committee, which is actually the planet’s highest court, 
  or the Law Enforcement sub-committee) are made up of non-Scientists appointed by the 
  Administrative Committee. The quality of sub-committee members varies considerably. 
  Some are well-trained graduates of the Skyport College (established by an early decree of 
  the Administrative Committee), others are appointed as a favour or bribe their way in. The 
  sub-committees are responsible to the Administrative Committee, which reserves to itself the 
  power to pass laws, but tends to simply pass those suggested by sub-committees (after they 
  have been precisely formulated by the Legal sub-committee) rather than taking a more pro-
  active role. The Faculty as a whole is presided over by the Head of Faculty, who is the 
  closest the planet gets to a chief executive. The Head of Faculty is chosen as the most 
  distinguished Scientist in any field of research by a jury of his peers. The post is held for life 
  (or until the Head chooses to retire). 
  The authority of the Faculty and Skyport Law is not universal. Every scattered town and 
  village on the planet’s surface has a long history of independence. Most have their own 
  
  traditional sources of authority (typically the oldest retired sea captain in the community, 
  referred to as “the Eldest” makes decisions for the community and acts as judge in disputes), 
  though the vast majority abide by Skyport Law, and will defer to any Sea Patrol Officer 
  present. Sea Patrol Officers generally treat the Eldest of any community with great respect, 
  knowing that as soon as they leave harbour it is the Eldest’s word that is law. Some 
  communities, however, have never supported the Scientists, and do not accept Skyport Law. 
  These communities, typically operating at a lower tech level than others, are not visited by 
  the Sea Patrol unless they are responding to an SOS. 
  Dashlaar has no interstellar capacity worth mentioning. The Faculty has a small number of 
  craft which are used mainly for research purposes or for maintaining the planet’s satellite 
  grid (vital for communication and global positioning technology). None of these craft are 
  really military. The planet has no military as such, though the Sea Patrol are effectively a wet 
  navy force as well as being a police force. 
  Professor Hilleso Bashil. Prof. Bashil is an elderly Nuclear Physicist. He has been Head of 
  Faculty for the last fifteen years, and shows every sign of hanging on until he dies. He 
  spends most of his time in research, or writing up his theories, and sees most areas outside 
  academia as a waste of his time. He has little grasp of interstellar politics, and less interest. 
  Notoriously he once had a Combine diplomat take readings from a Geiger counter for him at 
  30 second intervals throughout his audience to discuss Dashlaar’s relationship with the 
  Combine on the grounds that he “might as well do something useful while he was there”. 
  Corporations 
  Dashlaar has a number of small-scale businesses, but nothing really meriting the title 
  “corporation”. However, a number of interstellar corporations are active on the planet. The 
  Scientist’s desire to regain lost technology has brought a number of corporations to Skyport, 
  supplying goods and expertise. In addition, many corporations are engaged in buying 
  seafood. None have yet managed to gain a majority share in the market, though several are 
  trying, and there are many independent traders also involved in it. As Dashlaar itself has no 
  system defence boats, many traders also make use of privateers and corporate military 
  grade vessels to guard against piracy. (There is generally more of a danger on entering the 
  system, as few pirates are really interested in fish, which is invariably what traders leaving 
  the system are carrying). 
  Religion 
  As might be expected in a culture that has always been largely Vilani, the Vilani faiths 
  predominate on Dashlaar. Irkhu Galasshu in particular is very widespread, and every 
  community has its [roll of remembrance] in which are recorded the names of those who have 
  died and their significant deeds. The records in most cases go back to before the 
  interregnum, and sometimes further. All ships have their own shrine, and the burning of 
  incense and reciting the litany of ships captains at such shrines is carried out through 
  superstition if not through belief. 
  Perhaps the most surprising development of recent centuries has been the establishment of 
  secluded monasteries and religious communities on far-flung islands by offworlders. 
  Dashlaar is, quite simply, a very good place to escape from the universe. It has innumerable 
  tiny islands far from anything approaching civilisation, and the peace, simplicity, and 
  desolation of the place appeals to some. There are several Orthodox monasteries on the 
  planet, the most famous being the first, built on White Rock island by monks from a 
  community on Duusgakhar. 
  Crime 
   
  There is a certain amount of low-level crime on Dashlaar, as might be expected, but by far 
  the most significant criminal activity on the planet is wet piracy. The vast majority of the 
  population are directly or indirectly engaged in the fishing industry. Most of the money on the 
  
  planet comes from selling seafood in bulk to offworld traders. Some find it easier to steal a 
  bulk cargo from a returning floating factory that has been harvesting and processing for up to 
  a year than to harvest their own. No trader in Skyport will buy a cargo from a suspected 
  pirate, but certain sailors are not beyond acting as middlemen, buying a cargo from pirates 
  for a fraction of its value so that it can be sold on “legitimately”. Needless to say, this sort of 
  crime is regarded with abhorrence by most Dashlaari. The loss of a cargo, even if the 
  floating factory and crew are not lost too, can often be enough to destroy the villages from 
  which the crew were drawn. The Sea Patrol is assiduous in hunting down pirates, and 
  destroying pirate bases. Pirates therefore tend to be mobile, or to operate from uncharted 
  harbours. 
  
  Largidkush. 
  Barak Amdiikan, is a non-charismatic dictator, succeeding to power after the death of his 
  uncle Flamal Amdiikan, a career military officer who overthrew a genuinely corrupt and 
  unpleasant aristocracy. Unfortunately he was unable to complete the world's transition to a 
  more democratic form before his untimely death from a stroke. Flamal's son, Mosheri, as the 
  most obvious figurehead of the reforming regime, was unable to hold power from his usurper 
  cousin and 'disappeared'. His wife and the chief architect of reform, an old friend of Flamal 
  now lead the Opposition-in-Exile. 
  Barak is in no mind to join the Lameshid Confederacy, and while the Expansionist faction 
  within the Combine would love to expand, Largidkush is too far beyond their reach to 
  realistically grasp. By the same token the Cohabitationists (and the few Synthesists) are in 
  no position to help the Opposition-in-Exile lest they damage the spirit of rapprochement 
  coming from the Confederacy. 
  
  Ugigiinaar.  
  (C576559-9) 
  Relatively small population, but enterprising and resting upon a feudal technocratic base. 
  <name>, the current Satate Affaris (Chief Executive) recently rose to prominence on a 
  platform of successful modernisation and the increase of power and authority of the world 
  among its peer group, the independent and non-aligned worlds in the shadow of the existing 
  powers. 
  This ambitious programme is bearing fruit in the light of the recent improvement of the 
  starport to Class B, with Class A capacity obtainable within 5 to 10 years through joint 
  investment between Sytaëf ApK and the (re-formed) Vortigern Prime. 
  The years of the Interregnum have seen the reversal of fortunes for many worlds, and 
  Ugigiinaar is no exception to this. As a world on the very fringes of the Vilani sphere it was 
  never truly integrated into the Vilani system, and while it while it retains its Vilani name it was 
  left to second-generation colonists from the Rule of Man's settlement of Forniss to exploit it 
  more fully. (Forniss was settled prior to Ugigiinaar, and the majority of its early population 
  derived from its dominant sister world). Ugigiinaar was very much a junior partner in the 
  enterprise; notionally independent, but practically a colony with domestic interests 
  represented by the consultative Aarese Assembly. When civil war erupted on Forniss in the 
  early years of the Interregnum, causing a breakdown in regular contact, Ugigiinaar continued 
  as before for much of the time. As the years lengthened and Forniss failed to recover 
  Ugigiinaar attained de facto independence, and government, initially vested in the Colonial 
  Office gradually grew into a synthesis between the Aarese Assembly and the other major 
  body, the University Faculty of Xenology.  
  The result was the development of the Lurka, a system whereby all education, governance 
  and production is undertaken by a number of guilds or brotherhoods. The system is not 
  totally rigid, indeed it is surprisingly flexible (as typified by the development of the Guild of 
  Contributors – a loose group of enterprises who contribute money rather than services to the 
  government). 
   
  Nature of atmospheric taint? 
   
  Progressiveness: 
  Attitude: Conservative 
  Action: Advancing 
   
  Aggressiveness: 
  Attitude: Unaggressive 
  Action: Peaceable 
   
  Extensiveness: 
  Global: Harmonious 
  Interstellar: Friendly 
   
  Political status: Ugigiinaar is an Independent world, and has no official relationships either 
  with worlds of the Combine or the Confederacy. Like many other worlds although it 
  technically fell under the aegis of the TempGov it become functionally independent upon the 
  collapse of the Irbicht Governorship.  The current leadership sees both the Combine and the 
  Confederacy as potential trading partners, but has no inclinations to join either grouping. 
  Unlike most worlds of the subsector, who have no knowledge of the existence or location of 
  the Cincopoi, Ugigiinaar has relatively complete information upon them stored in the Faculty 
  Archives, albeit several centuries out of date, although it is unaware how far the Heklarr 
  Dominions currently extend. 
  
  Other Powers. 
   
  THE HEKLARR DOMINIONS. 
  The Heklarr Dominions are a tight alliance of the three current cincopoi interstellar states. 
  THE GRAND DUCHIES. 
  Controlling a region of some 6 subsectors in the adjoining Fornast sector the Grand Duchies 
  have been known to mount occasional missions to Eperdish and surrounding sectors. Most 
  of these have been belligerent and the Duchies are widely viewed more as potential 
  enemies than as allies or trading partners. 
  THE THIRD IMPERIUM. 
   
  
  Characters & Player Information. 
   
  CHARACTER TYPES. 
  Within the Dishani Combine. 
  Standard career types available to PCs from Combine member states include the Army, 
  Merchant services (either as private traders or in the service of the Bureau of Trade and 
  Industry), Navy, Entertainer, Noble, Rogue and Scholar. The generation rules for these 
  careers can be used unaltered from the T4 rulebook (with the exceptions noted below). 
  In addition there are a number of options specific to the Dishani Combine. In particular 
  different career options exist for the members of different Bureaux. The Bureau of Trade and 
  Industry is represented by the Merchant career. The combined interests of the Bureaux of 
  Reconnaissance and Resources provide a career analogous to the Scout service, detailed 
  below as R&R Agent while the Agent career lends itself well to a member of the Bureau of 
  Internal Affairs. Otherwise the separate career of Bureaucrat found in "Pocket Empires" can 
  be used as a ‘generic’ career. 
  The Marine career is replaced by service in the Resource Security Cohort. An individual 
  soldier of the RSC is known as a cohor. 
  The separate career of Bureaucrat exists to cater for all Bureaux other than the Naval 
  Bureau, the Bureau of Trade and Industry (Merchant). and provides a good outline for a 
  ‘generic’ bureau employment, although it requires some modification as detailed below. 
  Belters are also encountered. 
  MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD CAREERS. 
  Standard rule: any occurrence of Travellers’ Aid Society should be replaced with Dishanirash 
  Citizenship. 
  Agent. 
  For non-BIA agents substitute the following table: 
  4. Social 
  1. 
  Administration 
  2. 
  Bureaucracy 
  3. 
  Clandestine 
  4. 
  Charisma 
  5. 
  Jack-of-all-trades 
  6. 
  +1 Social 
   
  Resource Security Cohort. 
  Marine career will require some enhancement to reflect the independent interstellar capacity 
  they possess. and there should be provision for transfers into different bureaux for most 
  careers. 
  R&R Agent. 
  The BoRR service does not posses sufficient surplus to supply ships as a matter of routine, 
  although Nobles and Merchants may receive them. 
  TAS membership is replaced by Dishanirash Citizenship (see below).  
  
  RULES CLARIFICATIONS. 
  Character Generation. 
  Retirement Pay. A character must be within the state in whose service he worked to receive 
  the pay. The pay is not lost, it is merely unavailable. E.g. Korash Imbelish served 5 terms 
  with the Bureau of Interstellar Affairs, but cannot draw upon his annual pension if he is 
  adventuring in the Lameshid Confederacy. If he returns after 3 years absence there will be a 
  Cr12 000 nest-egg awaiting his return. 
  Skills 
  Cascade Skills #1. T4 rules apply; all skills in the same cascade are held at one level lower 
  than the controlling skill. E.g. if Korash has Blade Combat (Long Blade) at level 3, he also 
  has Blade Combat (Short Blade) at level 2. [Not at 1½ as in Megatraveller]. 
  Cascade Skills #2. Ground Craft becomes a cascade skill including (but not limited to) 
  Wheeled Vehicle, Tracked Vehicle and Motorcycle. 
  Cascade Skills #3. Watercraft becomes a cascade skill including (but not limited to) 
  Mechanically Propelled Watercraft, Rowed Watercraft and Wind-powered Watercraft. 
  Default Skills. Omit the following from the list: Environment Combat, Grav Craft, Ground 
  Craft, Heavy Weapons and Watercraft.  
  
  SOCIAL STANDING IN THE DISHANI COMBINE. 
  The Dishani Combine operates upon a rather different social basis from the more normal 
  T4/Imperium Milieu. Given that the governmental structure is geared more towards a 
  meritocratic service model than one of noble authority there are a number of differences that 
  need to be addressed. 
  Career Progression. 
  If a character receives bonuses to Social Standing that would take total Social Standing 
  above 9 apply the following rule. If the character is a native of Dishanirash (s)he receives 
  Dishanirash citizenship upon Mustering Out. If not roll D6; on 1-3 the character receives 
  Dishanirash Citizenship upon Mustering Out, which does not count against the maximum 
  number of rolls on the Benefits table. On 4+ roll again for the skill. 
  Mustering Out bonuses. 
  If a character receives bonuses to Social Standing that would take total Social Standing 
  above 9 apply the following rule. If the character served in the BIA add the Social Status as 
  normal and award Dishanirash Citizenship, otherwise roll D6. On 1-3 the character receives 
  Dishanirash Citizenship, on 4+ (s)he does not, but still gains the extra Social status. 
  Nobility 
  There are no noble titles associated with the posts of authority within the Dishani Combine 
  although nobles are eligible to serve at all levels and there have been several nobles to 
  reach the post of Marshall. (Only one, Duke xxx of yyy, has ever attained the rank of High 
  Marshall). Individual planets have their own noble houses and rankings, mainly derived from 
  the Rule of Man and Solomani colonists. While those ‘in the know’ are aware of differences 
  in the status between a Baron on Pharoah, a Baron on Augarien and a Baron on 
  Rakamdarmim such differences are, for all intents and purposes, negligible in practice for 
  the average sophont. 
  Relative Status 
  An individual’s status varies much more from world-to-world in Dishani space, and beyond it, 
  than in Cleon’s Imperium. Natives of the higher population and higher technology worlds, 
  such as Eufraties, Dishanirash and Skelter within the Combine, and even from major worlds 
  outside the Combine such as Eperdish and Gekarkagushaam, tend to awarded higher status 
  than those from lesser worlds, at least in official social situations. (Treat as a +1 DM on 
  Reaction rolls)  
  Dishanirash Citizenship 
  The Dishani Combine is not an institution comprised of equal members, at least, not in 
  practice, and does not treat subjects of its member-worlds as citizens. Although the term is 
  not used (except by political agitators) the Combine remains a hegemony under the none-
  too-loose control of Dishanirash. Subjects of member states of the Combine who perform “a 
  substantial service for the benefit of Dishanirash” are eligible for the award of Dishanirash 
  Citizenship. This is far more than just an honorary title, and is the nearest equivalent to 
  Travellers Aid Society membership that exists in the region. A similar notional value of MCr1 
  is placed upon it, although it could not be procured through a simple payment. It accords the 
  individual with a higher status in the Combine, and benefits such as a choice of better goods 
  and services under certain circumstances. These benefits are both official in nature and 
  unofficial. Thus within the Combine, and on friendly worlds, Dishanirash Citizens, if they 
  make the fact known, are treated as having a Social Standing of 10 (or their current Soc., if 
  higher). A Dishanirash Citizen can always get a good table at a restaurant, and might be 
  able to open a line of credit that would otherwise be difficult. Passenger vessels operating 
  out of the Combine will favour citizens in the purchasing of tickets, while within the Combine 
  the Dishanirash government maintains a number of hostels (Citizens’ Rests) which provide 
  facilities similar to those of TAS shelters. In addition in good years (roll 4+ on 1D) a citizen 
  can expect an annual dividend of 1d6*500 credits paid into their accounts. 
  
  For game purposes treat Dishanirash Citizenship as an automatic +2DM to Reaction Rolls in 
  most official contexts (and many less-official circles too). It should be noted, however, that in 
  a situation hostile to Dishanirash’s subjects and interests Citizenship can result in a negative 
  DM of up to –4. Thus it is not wise to advertise one’s citizenship when taken captive by 
  separatist guerrillas on Heuvel! 
  Social Standing Table 
   
  RATING 
  TRADITIONAL 
  DISHANI 
  17 
  Emperor 
   
  16 
  King 
   
  15 
  Duke 
  High Marshall 
  14 
  Marquis 
  Marshall 
  13 
  Count 
  Director, senior bureau 
  12 
  Baron 
  Delegate to Conclave of Interests; Director, lesser bureau; Sub-Director, senior 
  bureau; Director, Sytaëf ApK 
  11 
  Knight 
  Delegate to Conclave of Members; Senior planetary administrator 
  10 
   
  Dishanirash Citizen 
  9 
   
  Media Celebrity; political commentator [GURPS ‘Wealthy’] 
  8 
   
  Bureau middle management [GURPS ‘Comfortable’] 
  7 
   
  Ordinary subject 
  6 
   
   
  5 
   
  [GURPS ‘Struggling’] 
  4 
   
  Welfare recipient (‘Dolie’): [GURPS ‘Poor’] 
   
  3 
   
   
  2 
   
  Welfare recipient (‘Dormie’): [GURPS ‘Dead Broke’]; Low life, 
  1 
   
  Public Enemy number 1 
   
  SLANG TERMINOLOGY. 
  A citizen is, not surprisingly often referred to as a ‘Cit’, although this is not necessarily a 
  complementary term. Citizenship is not automatically paralleled by wealth, one who has 
  both, and is often found in the media focus is a ‘richCit’. Note the capitalisation in 
  comparison to the terms which follow. 
  A normal individual from Dishanirash is termed a ‘cadet’ a term sometimes shortened to 
  ‘cad’. Since citizenship is a privilege rather than an automatic status for an individual the 
  terminology has no derogatory meaning. 
  While officially there are only citizens and cadets two further terms are commonly found. The 
  lowest status cadets tend to be live in barrack-like dormitory blocks, and are referred to as 
  ‘dorms’ or ‘dormies’. Other cadets, capable of surviving more independently of the state’s 
  aid, but still in receipt of welfare measures are termed ‘doles’ or ‘dolies’.  
  Most terms derive from uncertain Terran origins, and appear to have been brought into use 
  by the forces of the Rule of Man. 
  
  CUSTOM RULES FOR DISHANI CAMPAIGNING. 
  Although the Dishani Combine information is set in Milieu0 terms it is played predominantly 
  under an older rule-set. 
  Megatraveller or T4? 
  Some of the changes between the rule-sets are very minor, or may be easily resolved. 
  Among these is the issue of skill types and names, as well as the character creation 
  sequence. These pose no real problem. Unfortunately there are a number of issues which 
  are significantly different, or at the least rankle. The change of convention form rolling high 
  for success has been changed to rolling low, something that makes perfect sense for 
  percentile dice, but which seems wrong for the use of D6, it offends my sensibilities. I’ve 
  never really used either task based system, as an unreformed classic Traveller player. 
  A bigger problem lies in the change of basic scale. Its not apparent that a change form a 1.5 
  metre grid size to a 2metre one could be so pernicious, but it seems to have affected just 
  about everything, e.g. the range bands system has changed completely. Similarly the 
  concept of Fusion+ is going to affect the design sequences, and I’ve yet to work out quite 
  how. 
  Character Generation System: T4. 
  Skills: T4. 
  Task System: Megatraveller. 
  Weapons & Equipment: Megatraveller dominant. 
  Damage administration. Megatraveller rules, although first strike damage to single 
  characteristic applies. 
  Vehicles: Megatraveller. 
  
  Alien Species. 
   
  THE BI'ILAMI. 
  Basic Outline 
  An amphibious species native to the Agde system (C 679674-6), the Bi'ilami developed from 
  scavenger/intimidator stock, massing some 200kg. Originally creatures of the coastal/littoral 
  environment the Bi'ilami are oviparous, and move faster in water than on land (S1 on land, 
  S3 submerged). 
  Weaponry: claws and teeth. 
  Temperament: precocious, mildly aggressive (expansionistic). 
  Lifestyle: historically nomadic, with little tendency to life-long pair bonding. Indeed there may 
  be multiple genders - males may only be fertile if recently involved in hunting activity, 
  dependent upon enzymes and hormones akin to human adrenaline. This would result in a 
  male population driven to strenuous activity to breed successfully, and potential role of ritual 
  combat prior to mating, if no rival is present, hunt activity as competition, or even in duelling 
  to the death with ritualistic cannibalism. 
  Racial Origins 
  The Bi’ilami are an amphibious species developed from scavenger/intimidator stock, native 
  to the littoral zones of the tropical islands of Agde. The spur to their development to 
  sentience is not known in detail, but it is speculated that given their limited endurance at sea, 
  and with growing population causing food shortages on land, the Bi’ilami were forced to 
  develop methods to extend their hunting and travelling ranges. At sea this took the form of 
  crude rafts, through to the typical square-rigged ships that they displayed at First Contact, 
  and on land manifested in the domestication of species such as the Taupalu for food, draft 
  purposes and for riding. 
  Physiology 
  Warm-blooded, quadrupeds with tails as much as 2/3 of their body length, lizard-like, 
  oviparous. They occupied a high position in the food chain prior to their rise to sentience and 
  were, and remain, capable hunters. Their jaws display a large number of teeth, and closely 
  resemble those of the Terran Cayman. Their hands and feet exhibit three jointed sections 
  between shoulder and hands (cf. humaniti’s two) and they are powerful swimmers over short 
  ranges, primarily through the use of the tail as a fluke. Both hands and feet are webbed, with 
  three dextrous claws performing the function of fingers, with an opposable claw analogous to 
  the thumb on the hands, and with the same three and one pattern displayed on the feet, the 
  single claw functioning like the human heel. A large portion of the skeleton is cartilaginous 
  rather than bony, including two ridges that start over the eyes and taper down the back 
  before merging with the tail. 
  Psychology 
   
  Homeworld 
  The Agde system (C 679674-6) 
  History 
  “TL1 upon contact with Vilani traders at the height of Vilani power.” When the Vilani arrived 
  certain elements of the Bi’ilami civilisation were already visible from orbit, such as their 
  floating cities and moss-carpeted roads travelled by their Taupalu caravans 
  
  Society 
  Characters 
  Other 
  
  THE CINCOPOI. 
  Racial Origins 
  The Cincopoi are carbon-based omnivore/hunters descended from scavenger/intimidator 
  stock as a result of the changes that occurred on Pripyat some 1,000,000 years ago 
  resulting from a major meteor impact. The strike increased the orbital tilt of the world and 
  wiped out much of the land-dwelling life, while having a much lesser effect upon the oceans. 
  The proto-Cincopoi were largely amphibious creatures which took more and more to the land 
  in the population explosion and species proliferation that resulted from the opening up of so 
  many environmental niches. Over the millennia since their expansion into new habitats they 
  grew in size, in co-operation and in mental abilities. Nevertheless, without a further impetus 
  they would probably have remained merely large, intelligent animals working in groups of the 
  no more than five individuals. However continuing climatic change in a different part of the 
  homeworld led to a further stimulus to development in the form of the invasion of the 
  cincopoi habitats by a large species of herbivore/browser and a carnivore/killer which 
  habitually preyed upon it. This forced the small groups of proto-cincopoi to band together 
  into larger units. These groups proved able not only to defend themselves against the 
  predator, killing it if necessary, but also capable of killing the herbivore too. From here the 
  path of development led towards domestication and control and management of the 
  environment, and ultimate eradication of the predator. 
  Physiology 
  Cincopoi have been likened to amphibious analogues of the Terran octopus. They possess 
  five tentacle-like limbs for land locomotion and extend some 2.25 metres from tentacle tip to 
  the top of the head, which translates to a height of c. 2 metres when standing on land. The 
  ‘shoulder’ (junction between the tentacles and the carapace) being some 1.5 metres from 
  the ground. Two shorter and more dextrous limbs, evolved from walking tentacles, flank the 
  mouth and its sharp beak. The manipulation tentacles (arms) are more flexible than their 
  locomotory counterparts (legs) and extend for approximately a meter, each with a grip and 
  flexibility superior to the human hand. Each leg exhibits vestigial suckers at the tips and 
  displays a large claw-like appendage on the outside, which can extend to strike at foes or be 
  employed to help anchor the cincopus should the need arise. The claw on the rear limb is 
  larger and better developed; a poison stinger used in hunting. Each of these seven limbs will 
  regenerate if severed, although not the claw/stinger. 
  The body, approximately 0.75 metres in length, is protected by a carapace of flexible 
  platelets which allow a surprising degree of mobility. There are two eyes set in the front of 
  the body so as to provide a large field of view whether the creature is walking on land or 
  swimming, which it does by bunching the powerful leg tentacles. The eyes provide binocular 
  vision which approximates to human standard. The mouth is located towards the bottom of 
  the carapace, above which are the gill slots which form a ring around the body. These are 
  usually partially sealed-up as the cincopus matures. 
  Cincopoi are hermaphroditic, but cannot reproduce without mating with others of their 
  species. Only after experiencing the mating orgy (a group activity which bonds the clan 
  together and stimulates the creation of sperm and their exchange in the waters of the mating 
  pool) will a cincopus deposit eggs, usually 7-12 local days after the orgy. Cincopoi produce 
  large numbers of eggs in water, where they are attached to vegetation, although many 
  remain unfertilised. 
  The cincopoi divide life into 5 stages, as detailed below: 
  i) 
  Unknowing: from birth to adoption. (Younglings) 
  Cincopoi eggs are deposited in pools and similar water bodies, usually attached to 
  vegetation (cf. to dogfish eggsacs; "mermaid's purses"). Newly hatched cincopoi are 
  not sentient and dependent upon the aquatic environment, as they are gill-breathers. 
  Since many eggs do not hatch, being unfertilised,  Length of incubation? Average 
  
  length of time to adoption? Adoption comes when the youngling begins to leave the 
  water, due to the atrophying of the gills and the development of lungs. Adoption 
  doesn't necessarily imply sentience, but there needs to be some degree of 
  intelligence for the youngling to realise the need to learn and follow. 
  ii) 
  Tutoring: adoption to first mating. (Leatherbacks) 
  Development of Voicebox 
  Development of stinger 
  Formation of platelets, rather than the 'leatherback' appearance, which also seals the 
  atrophying gill-structure (although a rare few cincopoi retain the ability to use their 
  gills). 
  iii) 
  Vitality: prime of life. 
  Initiation into vitality phase is at the cincopoi's first mating orgy, where most of the 
  clan enter into group love-play, and whether conception occurs or not the eggs are 
  laid in around 15 local days. 
  iv) 
  Decline: loss of strength through to death. 
  An individual is defined as dead not only through the cessation of bodily function, but 
  also through the onset of senility (since this is by definition a state of unbeing, the 
  loss of self) 
  v) 
  Unbeing: the hereafter. 
  Upon death a portion of the platelet armour is removed and put to use, tanned or 
  whatever, as a memorial to the individual. The body is then disposed of in water, 
  usually into a sacred pool, but not invariably. 
  Psychology 
  Homeworld 
  Planetary details: 
  Pripyat (0206 Wurenish) 
   
  Environment: extreme ^50deg 
  Active temperature range: 10-40 
  Extreme v:0deg 
   
  Violent storms, typhoon etc. 
  Intense seasonal shift 
  Yr 235 Terran standard 
  Diurnal 15 hr day/night 
   
  History  
  The Cincopoi were not contacted directly by the Vilani, but instead by corsairs operating 
  beyond the authority of the Ziru Sirka. Only the fact that the Cincopoi homeworld was on the 
  very borders of Vilani space saved the race from subjugation under the Ziru Sirka, which had 
  been the fate of so many other races.  
  The manner in which the Cincopoi were first contacted by humaniti has left a scar on their 
  corporate history, and has major implications even today. Their progress to technology was 
  a slow one, hampered by the tendency of cincopoi society to fragment, even collapse. 
  Nevertheless by first contact they had reached a stable TL6 with a substantial degree of 
  industrial capacity and a tentative form of world government in a co-operative alliance. 
  Powered flight had been achieved and space flight was being discussed as a possibility. In 
  2304 a sizeable pirate/mercenary fleet, taking advantage of the chaos after the Interstellar 
  Wars and the weakness of regional authority during the change of power structures entered 
  the Pripyat system with the apparent aim of establishing a permanent base. Unwisely they 
  
  attempted to subjugate the cincopoi, resulting in a protracted struggle, which not only had 
  the effect of greatly increasing intra-species co-operation, transforming the cincopoi co-
  operative into an oligarchic structure, but also stimulated technical development. Faced with 
  an external foe the cincopoi entered into a protracted guerrilla struggle culminating in the 
  expulsion of the corsair bases and the continued incentive to advance (coupled with the rise 
  of xenophobia among the oligarchic rulers). The conflict caused a large number of cincopoi 
  fatalities but also resulted in the cincopoi acquisition of technology far advanced beyond their 
  own, including a number of jump capable ships keeping alive some of the crew long enough 
  to learn the value of what they had captured. 
  Granted newer technology the cincopoi took on the task of reconstruction and a crash space 
  development programme. Using captured ships and knowledge from the few prisoners who 
  survived they rapidly explored and set to the task of establishing a defensive perimeter 
  around the Pripyat system. By 2350 cincopoi vessels had visited and charted (albeit at a 
  cursory level) Edmarkhiik, Zarkunmigarar, Sarnath & Falmer, primarily to ensure their own 
  security. While it took many years to replicate the jump drive the cincopoi quickly grasped 
  the possibilities of sublight drives and had exploited them along with cryogenics (reverse 
  engineered from the vessels' low berths) to create a colony on Sarnath by 2424, 
  intermittently visited by their prize jump capable ships. The final breakthrough, the 
  completely understood replication of jump drive occurred in 2455 and in less than 50 years 
  the first union had risen to dominance, albeit for a short while, and opened the nearby stars 
  to exploration and colonisation. 
  Thus when scouts from the Rule of Man arrived in the cluster they encountered a race 
  already possessing spaceflight and a small but adequate navy comprised of a number of 
  indigenously designed ships. Minimal interaction ensued over the following years with most 
  Solomani scouts being destroyed before meaningful communication could be established. 
  What information that was gleaned was understood as representing a minimal threat, and in 
  the context of the collapsing Second Imperium cincopoi space was officially quarantined, or, 
  as the Interregnum deepened, simply ignored. 
  Only the inability of the Cincopoi to form organisations capable of remaining stable in the 
  longer term has prevented their expansion beyond their current bounds. They are not 
  expansionistic, per se, but they share curiosity as a character trait in common with Humaniti 
  and Vargr. They harbour no ambitions of conquest, but might seek to ensure that any 
  neighbours would lack the means to attack or enslave them. At the very least they would 
  wish to possess equal or superior weapons technology. More advanced Jump drive 
  technology would be highly sought. 
  Certainly they would not voluntarily join any wider stellar body if it meant losing their military 
  forces, so they would need to be defeated in a thorough war of conquest, or even be 
  annihilated. at least without a major long term programme of social engineering. (The Hivers 
  could do it, but they are masters at this sort of endeavour). 
  Not being part of the wider interstellar community they did not suffer from the effects of the 
  Long Night/Interregnum, but still lack sufficient theoretical knowledge to exceed Jump-1 
  capacity. 
  Society 
  Cincopoi are naturally gregarious and well adapted to living as large groups. Traditionally 
  group identification was by means of language and by visible signals, many of which were 
  dictated by the diet of.. 
  Characters 
  Other 
   
  
  Planetary details:  
   
  Environment: extreme ^50deg 
  Active temperature range: 10-40 
  Extreme v:0deg 
   
  Violent storms, typhoon etc. 
  Intense seasonal shift 
  Yr 235 Terran standard 
  Diurnal 15 hr day/night 
   
  Species details: 
   
  Planetary Conditions favour 'temperate zone' permanent range with drift to tropics possible 
  in winter, and move to poles in summer.  
  Dispersal related to sea/ocean currents and travel speed. 
   
  Xenophobic/Racial Intolerant 
  Curious 
  Congenial 
  Imaginative 
  Carnivore 
   
  Amphibious 
  Pack/troop, climber 
  starfish/octopus analogue 
  5 major tentacle legs, rear with stinger (development being a sign of maturity, possibly the 
  defining characteristic of maturity after the full development of the voicebox); sharp beak. 
  These will regenerate from stubs if damaged, although damaged stinger will not be replaced. 
  2 excellent manipulators 
  Shared position near the top of the food chain. 
  Height about that of human average, but of heavier build. 
   
  Many offspring: hermaphroditic, but requiring mating - oviparous; animal/semi-animal phase 
  Armouring of body and organs, a carapace of flexible platelets (appearance at maturity- until 
  then there is a definite 'leatherjacket' appearance, but no plates - one mark of adulthood and 
  end of growth. 
  Limited limb regeneration (not stinger) 
   
  Voicebox approximating to human standard. (at maturity) 
  Vision to front in binocular arrangement, with standard approximate to human. 
  Ditto directional hearing and sense of taste, but poorer smell distinguishing 
  Psionic ability could be as a jammer, permanent (so don't mix Ophidians and Cincopoi!) 
   
  Developmental details: 
   
  Develops in marine environment and retains amphibious capacity for most of its life (inability 
  to swim etc. is another indicator of senility). 
  only later do the lungs develop and gills atrophy. Development to maturity is linked to diet 
   
  Young reach full maturity after @ 15 local years. Adoption can be from about 10 local years, 
  and if no group of adults is present other younglings may band together, although the 
  prototype clan would be regarded as 'barbarians', or degenerate. Failing that there are 
  loners, referred to as 'the voiceless', or still referred to as 'unknowing'. 
   
  Group identification is through ritual habits and language characteristics. 
   
  
  Other features. 
   
  Initial form of transport by 'foot' and thence by domesticated browser, and wheeled carts. 
  However, given the lack of a suitable aquatic species and the need to breath air -> 
  development of communal boat-rings in maritime environments (enclosed pool can carry 
  younglings and leatherbacks, as well as serving as a midden for organic refuse!) 
   
  Early dispersal on a troop-by-troop basis and banding together into petty kingdoms and 
  clannish confederacies. Societal development results in groups usually less stable than 
  humanity, but much more so than Vargr. 
   
  Population cycle is visible over the years, and periods of semi-collapse, or worse , occur 
  (cannibalism is not unknown): concept of farming a very late development, although 
  domestication common and one might even say the younglings are farmed in more 
  advanced cultures, but even here there is a concept of ritual dispersal. 
   
  Campaign details: 
   
  They have, however, produced some good advances in the field of cryogenics – logic? 
  Ability to survive winters… 
  Why xenophobic? Jump drive by conquest. 
   
  M0 setting: several warring groups, some with space travel, but limited to TL9 jump 
  capability. If they gain greater they won't do a 'horde' but remain xenophobic. 
   
  Classic Traveller setting: will either be integrated into mainstream to a minimal degree, as a 
  cluster of worlds recognising feudal loyalty to a distant leader, active interstellar players, 
  interdicted, or exterminated. 
   
  
  THE SHEGASHI. 
  Racial Origins 
  The Shegashi are one of the many human minor races, believed to have been transplanted 
  to Shegasha, along with several other Terran species, by the mysterious Ancients around –
  300,000.  
  Physiology 
  Physiologically the Shegashi are a sub-species of humanity. Their features are typically 
  Negroid, displaying characteristic dark skin and peppercorn hair, although this tends towards 
  a coppery shade, rather than black. The physiological differences between the Shegashi and 
  other strands of humanity are not readily apparent in terms of external characteristics. These 
  differences are twofold.  
  Given the large amount of edible vegetable life on the planet’s surface, much of it apparently 
  transplanted from Terra with minimal adaptations, and the inedibility of much of the fauna, 
  the Shegashi favour an almost totally vegetarian diet. In common with some other minor 
  human species this is reflected in the fully functional appendix. 
  Rather more radically different is the change in Shegashi reproductive characteristics 
  compared to other humans. Whether this is due to a chance mutation or to Ancient meddling 
  is uncertain (most geneticists back the latter theory). All Shegashi females begin 
  menstruation considerably later than other groups of humaniti, at about 25 standard years of 
  age, and cease earlier, that is, at no later than 40 standard years of age. In addition, 
  approximately 50% of the male population are infertile. The details of the mechanism remain 
  unexplained although it appears to operate at a fundamental level. Once a women reaches a 
  certain, and unpredictable, age any male offspring which she bears will be infertile.  
  In all other respects, barring minor responses to the characteristics of their foster home, 
  Shegashi are identical to the other strands of humaniti.  
  Psychology 
  Shegashi psychology has been moulded by their awareness from very early in their history 
  that they did not wholly belong on Shegasha. They could eat much of the flora, but very little 
  of the fauna of their homes. Indeed only one species was palatable and easy to consume, 
  and this was later discovered to be the duck, a native of Terra sharing in their exile. Similarly 
  the native predators largely ignored the Shegashi, finding them to be mutually unappealing 
  and unpleasant. For millennia the Shegashi sought the answer to their origins without 
  success, and while the arrival of the Vilani brought no answer to the ultimate question it did 
  give them a framework in which to operate and a place in the universe in subjection to Vilani 
  interests. Once given this place in the cosmos the quest for the answer to their ultimate 
  origins has waned somewhat, and it has become apparent that the race as a whole has 
  become somewhat accepting of the information given to them by their perceived betters. The 
  Shegashi mind-set has thus been described as one of racial gullibility; and after first contact 
  with the Vilani they happily settled into the world-view that they were given, almost without 
  question.  
  A further characteristic is one of passivity. Given the relative ease of survival upon 
  Shegasha, faced on the whole only with countering the dangers of climate and accident, 
  exacerbated by the slow rate of population growth attributable to their unusual genetic 
  inheritance the Shegashi cannot be described as a thrusting and dynamic people. In addition 
  to being physically passive the Shegashi have little experience of war and conflict. They do 
  not really see much point. Territorial aggression seems rather pointless as their population 
  growth has never really caused problems over space, and conflict over mating prerogatives 
  is rendered rather pointless, given that there has traditionally been no way to determine 
  whether a couple may produce children. 
  
  The scarcity of children and the difficulty of breeding, coupled with the passivity described 
  above have also given rise to the Shegashi trait of respect for human life. The only real 
  trigger to violence among the Shegashi is real or perceived threat to harm children. There 
  are very few other ways of provoking a Shegashi to physical conflict, and the sight of an 
  aroused Shegashi has been likened to an individual possessed. Such a threat to a child is 
  taken as a loss of humanity itself, and an offender is likely to be killed on the spot. In no 
  other circumstances will a Shegashi tolerate killing and the traditional punishment for murder 
  has been the transport and exposure of the offender to the most inhospitable climate that is 
  available. Should the offender survive to rejoin society no further comment will be made. 
  Most, however, do not survive. 
  Homeworld 
  Shegasha is a comfortable world some 6200 miles in diameter, largely covered (82%) by 
  water and boasting an earth-like atmosphere, with a very similar temperature range to that of 
  Terra. Orbiting an F5V primary its most unusual feature is its rather long year (1.78 Terran 
  standard years in length), but with a local day of 25.81 standard hours it presents no 
  problems to the human body clock. 
  History 
  Contrary to the common experience of most societies the Shegashi have developed in a 
  remarkably peaceful and stable manner. They have very little experience of war and conflict. 
  Society 
  Shegashi society has been shaped by their distinctive reproductive characteristics, and by 
  the ease of survival on their world. Since food was so easy to procure and predators virtually 
  non-existent Shegashi culture developed rather slowly. Lacking the need for defensive 
  settlements most of the population lived in scattered small settlements, driven by the 
  benefits of company, and little else. Even today there are few large settlements, the 
  Shegashi don’t see the need. 
  Characters 
  Other 
  
  Further Background Information. 
   
  LIBRARY DATA 
  (primarily for the EPERDISH subsector (subsector M of The Empty Quarter)) 
  Situation at approximately 1 Imperial, 4521AD (according to Sylean Proclamation). 
   
  Agde (0602, Eperdish, C679674-6). Agde's aboriginal minor race, the amphibious Bi'ilami, had 
  achieved TL1 upon contact with Vilani traders at the height of Vilani power. Human 
  settlement has been sporadic, but relations with the indigenous Bi'ilami are relatively good, 
  with the population broadly split between a number of archipelagoes in the Equatorial Ocean 
  (dominated by humans) and mainly nomadic Bi'ilami fleets sailing the seas in search of food 
  and resources. The planet is currently in the midst of a mild ice age, the polar landmasses 
  being covered by ice, as is most of the non-tropical ocean. There are a number of sovereign 
  states, but while there is little or no hostility to, neither is there any desire for, a unitary 
  government. 
  Agde is an undemanding and unassuming member of the Dishani Combine. 
  Anlanshik Cluster. The cluster of 14 systems forming the traditional powerbase of the 
  Dishani Combine. 
  Augarien (0706, Eperdish, A86698C-8). Settled by French Solomani during the early years of 
  the Rule of Man the world survived the rigours of the Interregnum remarkably well, primarily 
  due to the wide variety of edible native foodstuffs and relative lack of pathogens and 
  predators. During the darkest years technology in certain spheres dropped to 4, but medical 
  care and food provision never suffered too greatly. Government is traditionally based upon a 
  meritocratic model, run by a professional civil service selected for ability, that has also 
  ossified much of society into a strict caste system, obsessed by proper form and etiquette, 
  so rigid as to be legally mandated. Many years prior to the foundation of the Combine the 
  Dishani began limited interaction with the Augari. This relationship gave rise to two specific 
  diplomatic castes, the Parlers and the Otleers. The former are true diplomats, charged with 
  speaking on behalf of the government, the latter are dedicated to the task of guiding visitors 
  and guests through the complex process of Augarien life, a role combing elements of tour 
  operator and custodian. 
  Since the formation of the Dishani Combine there has been a large flux of Augari emigration 
  to the surrounding worlds, where many emigrants, formal by local standards, but freed of 
  their complex societal bonds, make their living as administrators, chefs (Augarien cuisine is 
  highly valued) and as valued members of the Dishani Combine Bureau of Colonisation. 
  Cadbury. Former name of Vaekodhsu. 
  Cautionary Notice. A designation accorded to a system by Dishani Combine sources 
  indicating that entry into that system, or a specified area of it, poses a significant hazard to 
  those who enter. There may or may not be any taken to stress this warning in situ. Such a 
  notice may be posted for several reasons and by a number of authorities, but usually is 
  placed to protect citizens carrying about their legal business. 
  Dashlaar (0308, Eperdish, C558557-8) was settled during the First Imperium. Its oceans are its 
  primary resource, and it has fed surrounding worlds throughout its history. The population is 
  widely dispersed over the planet’s many small islands, except for the relatively large 
  settlement of Skyport, site of the planet’s starport. What government the planet has comes 
  from the Skyport Research Faculty. 
  Dating Systems. Two systems are typically followed in the Eperdish subsector, the Terran 
  and the Dishani. The latter is not an official policy, but one of convenience, counting years 
  
  from the formal establishment and ratification of the Dishani Combine, there being no Year 
  1, and with the suffix PC (Post Combination) being applied. 
  Dishanirash (0703, Eperdish, A400A88-C) Unique among the worlds of the subsector 
  Dishanirash never lost its interstellar capacity through the years of the Interregnum, 
  maintaining the ability to manufacture drives to TL9 and repair higher technology ones. 
  Indeed retention of interstellar capacity was essential to the survival of the population, since 
  Dishanirash itself is devoid of planetary water and the system lacks any agricultural capacity 
  beyond tailored fungi and algae. The system hosted a major Solomani naval base, which 
  provided vital resources as the Second Empire collapsed. The survival of capacity is due in 
  no small part to the blending of the Solomani government structure, based upon military 
  ranks, efficiency and obedience with the corporate ethic of Vilani tradition. The resulting 
  power structure is not unlike that of a major corporation, with the various ministries akin to 
  corporate divisions. Only in 'recent years', however, have the competing factions of the 
  Directorate agreed that the conditions are right for the expansion of Dishani affairs into the 
  wider interstellar realm, beyond that simply required for survival. 
  Dishani Combine. A tight interstellar hegemony centred upon the Dishanirash System in 
  the Eperdish subsector, the Combine is a relatively recent formalisation of the status quo 
  during the Interregnum, that is, Dishani influence maintains a number of worlds beneficial for 
  its own survival in the long-term, with concomitant economic and social benefits for those 
  worlds under its protection. As a general rule members of the Combine are free to pursue 
  their own internal policies providing that resource supplies to other member worlds are not 
  threatened; the Combine does not have a role in guaranteeing the rights of citizens of the 
  various members, and indeed there is no such thing as Combine citizenship. (In the pursuit 
  of order and unhindered resource exploitation and distribution member states are not 
  permitted their own independent interstellar forces.) Unlike the re-established Empire, 
  rumours of whose traders and scouts have reached Dishani space, the Combine makes no 
  claims to the legacy of its progenitors, and will resist the attempts of any polity to hinder its 
  chosen course. 
  Among the worlds in the Eperdish subsector the Combine comprises Ka (0102), Mordachus 
  (0103), Gashiimud 
  (0201), Eufraties 
  (0202), Miiburesh 
  (0302), Shiinukaagi 
  (0304), 
  Mughamkhiram 
  (0401), Rakamdarmim 
  (0403), Vaekodhsu 
  (0501), Pharoah 
  (0504), 
  Duusgakhar (0505), Agde (0602), Murkhabir (0603), Shegasha (0702), Dishanirash (0703), 
  Sami (0704), Heuvel (0605), Augarien (0706) and Skelter (0803). To Coreward the Combine 
  extends into the Tripitaka subsector, controlling Bhoddoshivata (0210) & Kobe (0630) and to 
  Trailing the Combine controls Girmargemsabush (0102) and Wurenish (0103) in the 
  neighbouring Wurenish subsector. 
  Eperdish (0310, Eperdish, A 686996-B) marks the site of the first entry into the subsector by 
  Vilani scouts during the First Empire period, hence the naming of the region. Eperdish 
  dropped to an approximate local sustainable technological level of 8 during the Interregnum 
  following the collapse of the Ramshackle Empire. Re-contact with the Grand Duchies in the 
  adjoining Fornast Sector and thriving local interstellar trade, combined with a somewhat 
  sharp attitude among the planet's ruling body, known simply as The Administration, has 
  resulted in speedy technological growth. The racial mix remains predominantly Vilani, with 
  the old Solomani planetary name of Sheppard being virtually forgotten except in the name of 
  the major planetary corporation dealing in electronics, communications and instrumentation.  
  Eperdish has solid trading links with ships operating out of the so-called Third Imperium and 
  while Eperdish is not formerly a client state, it hosts cadre of both the Imperial Navy and the 
  IISS. Dishani Combine Intelligence is aware of this, and tension is increasing in the region. 
  Exclusion Notice. A designation accorded to a system by Dishani Combine sources 
  indicating that entry into that system, or a specified area of it, is prohibited to unauthorised 
  vessels, and that action will be taken to enforce the prohibition. Such a notice may be posted 
  
  for several reasons and by a number of authorities, such as to protect a developing culture, 
  protect off-worlders from harm, or in the enforcement of a boycott or execution of a siege. 
  Forniss (0708, Eperdish, E797438-3). Severely regressed from its former state (C7976AB-8), 
  Forniss holds promise for future development and exploitation but is in dire need of 
  assistance to rebuild its industrial and technical base. Much of the population perished 
  during the Interregnum when much of the capacity to protect the population from the harmful 
  effects of the plentiful heavy metals in the planet's ecosystem was lost. 
  There are frontier facilities and a small Dishani medical mission. 
  Gekarkagushaam (0508, Eperdish,B 79699A-A) was a Vilani colony world settled shortly after 
  Eperdish during the First Imperium. A second wave of Solomani colonisation occurred during 
  the Rule of Man when the planet became heavily industrialised. The two populations are 
  now thoroughly mixed. Having a relatively pleasant and equable ecosystem, the planet 
  suffered relatively little during the Darkest Years, dropping to a sustainable TL6. Re-contact 
  with Eperdish occurred relatively early, and a series of trading alliances between the two 
  worlds ensured Gekarkagushaam’s swift recovery.  
  The planet is notable for being the source of the notorious hallucinogenic drug yellowgrass. 
  The pollen of this plant taints the planet’s atmosphere, requiring the population to wear filter-
  masks whenever outside. The planet’s administration, the Conclave, does all it can to 
  prevent the yellowgrass trade. 
  Gekarkagushaam is a founding member of the Lameshid Confederacy, and much of the 
  Confederacy’s administration is based on the planet. 
  Gidurmu Lamirgu. The Anlanshik Cluster and the Eufraties Main are separated by a region 
  of space approximately 1 parsec wide, requiring the use of Jump-2 to cross. This is known 
  as the Gidurmu Lamirgu (or Lamirgu gap in Old High Vilani), and seriously hindered the 
  development of the region when the Ziru Sirka was at the height of its power and peak rate 
  of expansion. 
  Heuvel (0605, Eperdish, D554775-6). Formerly a dependent world of the Second Empire, 
  having been settled at the same time as the neighbouring Augarien system, Heuvel is slowly 
  clawing it's way towards unitary government, simultaneously both hindered and 
  technologically spurred onwards by the constant low-level warfare between its constituent 
  nations, at least 5 of which claim the be the legitimate successor to the authority of the 
  former Colonial Office. 
  Heuvel is nominally a member of the Dishani Combine, whose actions seem to outside 
  observers to be more concerned in the protection and exploitation of planetary mineral 
  resources than in settling disputes between the squabbling nations, many of which do not 
  recognise the Combine's presence as legitimate. 
  The Dishani Combine Bureau of Transport has posted a Cautionary Notice in regard to the 
  Heuvel system. 
  Hyams (0407, Eperdish, C996514-6). The population of Hyams traces its root back almost 
  entirely to a single colonisation mission in 2776AD comprising the extended family and 
  retainers of the Hyams family, members of a close Christian sect. The Hyamic Code forbids 
  warfare in all forms for all believers, and the planets defence capability rests totally in the 
  hands of retainers and 'Gentile' soldiery. No citizen is allowed off the world without special 
  dispensation, granted by the priests and elders. 
  Imperdagak (0210, Eperdish, C8C87A7-7) The environment is inimical to life, and all 
  settlement is confined to natural underground cave-systems, primarily in the pursuit of 
  mineral resources. 
  
  Interregnum, The. Term used by the Dishani Combine, and by extension, the surrounding 
  systems with interstellar capacity, for the years following the collapse of the Second (or 
  Ramshackle) Empire. The Interregnum is deemed to have ended, at least locally, in 4257AD 
  when the Dishani Combine came into being. 
  Irbicht (0108, Eperdish, X579679-1). Former capital, reduced to barbarism as competing 
  factions fought for control of resources in the subsector as the Interregnum lengthened. 
  Currently at TL1 the Dishani Combine has placed a Cautionary Notice on the world, partly in 
  an attempt to quarantine the world after the NBC war there. Note that no Exclusion Notice 
  can be enforced by Dishani forces, since Irbicht lies beyond the Dishani borders, but severe 
  penalties will be applied to citizens of Combine member states who can be proved to have 
  landed on Irbicht.  
  Ka (0102, Eperdish, C568421-8). A hothouse world, Ka has only a minimal human population. 
  None of the three colonisation attempts during the Rule of Man survived for more than a 
  decade, providing a long-lasting enigma. The riddle was solved in 4426AD (169PC) when a 
  combined Eufratian/Dishani expedition discovered that Ka was inhabited by an aggressively 
  carnivorous sentient race, reliant upon psionics for most communication and manipulation 
  tasks. The relatively small human population is concentrated primarily upon the study of the 
  race, known as officially as Ophidians, due to their serpent-like appearance, (and unofficially 
  as Slithers), a dangerous task resulting in several fatalities every year. 
  Ka is accorded protectorate status by the Dishani Combine, and an Exclusion Notice has 
  been posted on unlicensed travel and landing upon the planet. To this end the starport is 
  located near the gas giant, Ulaam. 
  Kagekaashaam. The Vilani corporation with interests in high-tech environmental support 
  systems, which was one of the founding triad for the Dishani Combine. Without the whole-
  hearted support and co-operation of the corporation the airless world of Dishanirash would 
  not have survived the Interregnum. 
  Karaganda (0409, Eperdish, B9A2944-A). A world of extremes, Karaganda was settled not 
  only by hardy pioneers in need of a challenge, but was also used as a dumping-ground for 
  petty criminals and exiles before the Interregnum. It's winters are cold and harsh, while 
  summers can be quite equable. The atmosphere of Karaganda is only mildly hostile to 
  human life, being a nitrogen, oxygen mix with a low methane concentration. This is not 
  enough to cause short-term health problems, but sufficient to cause atmospheric explosions 
  under certain conditions. Settlement is widely dispersed, especially upon the regions of 
  Kazakh and Uzbek where the pioneers settled, but well linked by modern communication 
  methods. 
  Karaganda maintains no formal naval forces, rather relying upon the chartering of mercenary 
  units and the mobilisation of private resources through the issuing of letters of marque in 
  cases of conflict. 
  Karaganda is a member of the Lameshid Confederacy. 
  Lameshid Confederacy A small organisation of planets, founded by Karaganda, for the 
  promotion of trade and mutual defence. 
  Membership comprises Eperdish (0310), Karaganda (0409), Gekarkagushaam (0508) and 
  Mamgaashi (0509). 
  Largidkush (0109, Eperdish, C6757BF-5) the population of this world is largely confined to a 
  single continent, and there is plenty of scope for settlement and development. The world is 
  officially neutral, held under the powerful grip of the military dictator, Barak Amdiikan, but 
  rival corporations from the Lameshid Confederacy, the Dishani Combine, and even far-flung 
  'Imperials' are attempting to establish trading operations. While it is unlikely that Largidkush 
  
  will be persuaded to join any interstellar polity in the near future strategic plans undoubtedly 
  exist among its near neighbours. 
  Mamgaashi (0509, Eperdish, C 300875-9) is a vacuum world, settled during the Rule of Man 
  when large-scale mining operations were initiated to support the developing industry on 
  Gekarkagushaam. The Darkest Years brought widespread shortages and suffering, as well 
  as marking the end of a unified planetary administration. The planet is currently split into five 
  independent and competing regions, united and divided by a common history. The 
  Mamgaashi system is well-known as a haven for pirates and privateers. 
  Mamgaashi is a member of the Lameshid Confederacy. 
  Miiburesh (0302, Eperdish, B523845-A). While not possessing much in the way of resources 
  Miiburesh is one of the planets that is a 'must visit' for any tourists in the subsector. The 
  interaction of the solar wind upon the extremely thin atmosphere results in spectacular 
  auroral effects at all latitudes. It is not certain whether the old Terran name for the planet, 
  Gossamer, is a reflection of some of the finer atmospheric effects, or of the delicate, trailing 
  vegetative forms, such as the spidersilk tree, nourished by the unusually abundant water 
  cover for a world with such a minimal atmosphere. The world was partially abandoned during 
  the Interregnum, a large proportion of the natives relocating to Eufraties in 2862AD. 
  Advanced civilisation collapsed by 3000AD, and with no interstellar capacity the remnant 
  population was reduced to a single enclave of less than 10,000, barely surviving at TL5 (and 
  unable to fabricate essential materials) before the world was re-contacted in 3776AD. A 
  substantial resettlement project was started in 3941AD and the planet is currently thriving, if 
  somewhat financially impoverished. 
  Miiburesh is a member of the Dishani Combine. 
  Murkhabir (0603, Eperdish, E100000-0). The Murkhabir system is within the area of space 
  claimed by the Dishani Combine, but contains no known resources of value. 
  New Extents, The. Title referring to the planets of the Eufraties Main, who joined the 
  Dishani Combine in the most recent phase of its expansion (4482AD, 225PC). Although their 
  accession is beyond the memory of any living human the name has passed into common 
  use. The seat of Combine business and government in The New Territories is located at 
  Susa, capital city of the Eufraties system. 
  Newts. A sapient race of bipedal, tailed, amphibious quadrupeds from the warm, damp main 
  world in the Marhaban System. They achieved spaceflight during the Ziru Sirka and are 
  present in small numbers throughout the region. They later became known as thoroughly 
  efficient bureaucrats throughout imperial space. See JTAS 11 Contact!  
  Pharoah (0504, Eperdish, C564446-7). This is a hot and dry planet, reminding early Terran 
  explorers of a part of their homeworld. The name is at least partly inspired by the similarity of 
  much if its surface to Ancient Egypt and its major rivers effect the landscape in a similar 
  manner to the Nile. There is much speculation over the origin of the curiously and 
  consistently-shaped Pyramid Mountains. 
  Pharoese society has traditionally been based on bonded labour, with the status of the ruling 
  aristocracy determined both by the number of individuals "under the protection" of the 
  household, and by the living conditions of those individuals. The structures imposed during 
  the Interregnum helped Pharoese society as a whole to survive the rigours of isolation. 
  Influential families remained influential, bonded labourers remained within their places too. 
  The electorate is restricted solely to hereditary aristocracy and male land-owners, 
  comprising no more than a small percentage of the population, the government being in 
  effect a self-perpetuating oligarchy under the Pharoah, an official elected for life, living in the 
  capital city, Cheops. 
  
  While life was hard during the Interregnum there was little dissatisfaction with the system, 
  which maintained society and industry around TL5. Increasing contact with Dishani 
  influences (through its membership of the Dishani Combine) and the gradual rise of material 
  well being has lead to increasing friction and demands for greater freedom of speech, 
  representation and personal freedom. 
  "Purple Flower". The code name for an abortive operation allegedly perpetrated by Dishani 
  Combine Intelligence around 4450. Lameshid Confederacy sources claim that Purple Flower 
  was intended to disrupt trade links between Karaganda and Gekarkagushaam by employing 
  privateers based in the Mamgaashi system, and was part of a larger scheme to on the part 
  of the Dishani Combine to annex Mamgaashi (0509). As a direct result of these claims 
  Mamgaashi joined the Lameshid Confederacy in 4453. The very existence of Purple Flower 
  has been denied by the Dishani Combine at all levels. 
  Rakamdarmim (0403, Eperdish, D859522-6). While certain regions of the world hold potential 
  for further settlement the population is currently centred upon one of the many volcanic 
  islands that are widely spread throughout the southern hemisphere. The great Rak Amadar, 
  a volcano which gives its name to the planet, is still active, and boasts a summit some 
  12,000 metres above sea level.  
  Rakamdarmim is a member of the Dishani Combine. 
  Shegasha (0702, Eperdish, B668754-5). This system, with its pleasant major planet, provides 
  the majority of luxury food and agricultural resources and exports for the Dishanirash 
  Combine. Inhabited by a minor human race, the Shegashi, who had reached TL3 at contact, 
  it settled swiftly into the role of breadbasket for the Vilani Empire and its successor, a role it 
  was to maintain for hundreds of years, and indeed the Old Vilani name best translates into 
  Anglic as 'grainlands'. Even during the Interregnum the majority of the population remained 
  healthy and contented; reflecting the Shegashi racial trait of placid, conservative and 
  environmentally sound agrarianism. While the TL dropped to 4 from its former level of 7 the 
  natives are in no hurry to develop past TL5, and indeed the government appears to be 
  actively attempting to stop advancement. 
  Small-scale mineral and resource extraction is practised under the licence and oversight of 
  the Dishanirash Combine Resources Bureau, while at any time there are in excess of 10,000 
  Dishani Combine sponsored agricultural specialists present in the Shegasha system. 
  Shiinukaagi (0304, Eperdish, C100563-A). The continuing economic growth of the Dishani 
  Combine has enabled the exploitation of the Shiinukaagi system by the Resources Bureau, 
  of whom all the systems residents are employees or contractors. There was a small 
  presence on the planet during the early years of the Rule of Man, but the system was 
  abandoned even before the Interregnum's recognised beginning and little trace of the former 
  settlements remains. 
  Skelter (0803, Eperdish, A000972-C). The Skelter Belt is a dense, hugely populated and 
  resource rich asteroid belt which provides much of the raw and processed industrial 
  resources of the Dishani Combine, a significant proportion of its mercantile tonnage and a 
  not inconsiderable volume of the Combine Naval capacity. Skelter is the second most 
  populous member of the Combine, and would carry even more political leverage were it not 
  for the dispersed nature of the populace and the fragmented governmental structures it 
  spawns. 
  Suorok. A wholly owned subsidiary of Sytaëf ApK trading primarily in industrial plant 
  facilities and standardised industrial components. Its offices and operations are widespread 
  throughout the region, among Combine, Confederacy and Independent Worlds. 
  Sylean Pretenders. Derisory local term for the self-styled 'emperors' of the former Sylean 
  Federation. 
  
  Sysec. The Corporate security division of Sytaëf ApK, which according to persistent 
  rumours, may be infiltrated by agents of both Dishani Combine Intelligence and the rival 
  Lameshid Intelligence Division. 
  Sytaëf ApK. A major trading cartel, founded during the Rule of Man, which managed to 
  survive the Interregnum. Its ships now visit most worlds in the Eperdish Subsector, 
  competing with Dishani Combine companies for valuable business with the Lameshid 
  Confederacy worlds. 
  Third Imperium. Title taken by the Sylean Federation, an expansionistic interstellar state to 
  Rimward, whose stated aim is take control over the territory of the former Vilani and Second 
  Empires. The claims of the Sylean Pretenders (q.v.) are not accepted by the Dishani 
  Combine, or many other systems in the region. 
  Vaekodhsu (0501, Eperdish, B898576-8) Formerly known as Cadbury this planet was left to 
  support itself quite early, that is, before communications were lost between the Dishani 
  Cluster and the Eufraties Main. It is unusual in having a sizeable Vargr population in the 
  years where Vargr are accounted as legends to the population of much of human-occupied 
  space. Vargr refugees, along with the protection of a small unit of corsairs, arrived in-system 
  in 3042AD (-1478) and were followed by others of their race in irregular waves until 4431AD (-
  89, 169PC). The early refugees were welcomed, since they brought with them some useful 
  technology and resources, as well as a few operable interstellar vessels. These proved of 
  use when hostile forces arrived twice in-system. In 3313AD (-1207) a plundering band of 
  Vargr corsairs were easily repulsed and in 3429AD (-1091) the world was threatened by a 
  misjumped warship from the aggressively racist Empire of Gashikan to coreward. Shortly 
  after the successful resolution of the crisis the planetary name was changed (its meaning 
  translates as 'harmony' or 'concord'). 
  Nominally Vaekodhsu is a voluntary member of the Dishani Combine, but it is content to 
  remain inward-looking and provides little of value to the wider community, with the possible 
  exception of ranch-raised meat, and shock troops (and fickle ones at that). 
  Vortigern Prime Consortium. One of the triad of organisations which co-operated in the 
  creation of the Dishani Combine the consortium was a Solomani prospecting and resource 
  development group based in the Skelter system at the time when the collapse of the Second 
  Empire became apparent. 
  
  UPP DATA FOR MUKUSI SUBSECTOR 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Gash
  0108
  B 62A766 9
  Wa
  100
  K2 IV
  Dinsha
  0210
  X 210000 0
  Ba
  015
  M5 D
  Iindararim
  0310
  B 528311 A
  Lo
  403
  K4 V M8 D
  Ishgiirad
  0502
  D 9A5644 2
  Ni
  320
  M0 V
  Guukin
  0610
  B 638111 A
  Lo
  215
  M7 V
  MUKUSI
  0708
  D 457A66 8
  Hi
  712
  G1 V
  Khiiniish
  0810
  X 000000 0
  As Va Ba
  023
  M4 V M2 D
  First Survey states UPP for
  Dinsha
  0210
  D 210000 7
  Ba
  015
  M5 D
  Khiiniish
  0810
  D 000000 6
  As Va Ba
  023
  M4 V M2 D
   
  Initial thoughts. 
  None will have no interstellar capacity, and the population of Guukin probably includes those 
  on the Starport. If so, what is its purpose? 
  
  UPP DATA FOR TRIPITAKA SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Teutoburger
  0107
  C 574675 B
  802
  K2 V
  Waskuei
  0108
  X 130000 0
  Ba
  -23
  G1 V M9 D M6 D
  Mildew
  0110
  D 235202 5
  Ni Po
  720
  St. David's Abbey 0207
  X 5104D9 4
  -02
  K0 IV M2 V M3 D
  Mikik
  0208
  X 450573 5
  -02
  G9 IV
  Thessalia
  0209
  X 415000 0
  -03
  M8 V
  Bhoddoshivata
  0210
  B 442755 9
  Na Ni Po
  914
  Di
  Teikoku
  0305
  X 8C7000 0
  -04
  M4 V M8 D
  Hipper
  0307
  B 6566A5 A
  -20
  M8 V
  Bonotsu
  0308
  X 8B0000 0
  -02
  K8 V M8 V
  Akec Tedidim
  0309
  X 475435 _
  -03
  M0 V
  Marhaban
  0406
  _ 469___ _
  -01
  K8 IV
  Dimashq
  0607
  X 230000 0
  001
  M6 V M2 D
  Kobe
  0610
  C 899578 5
  Ni
  503
  M6 V M8 D
  Di
  Osumi Shoto
  0708
  X 221000 0
  030
  K5 V M9 D
  Kobiyashi
  0709
  X 300000 0
  002
  M0 V
  Li Changhun
  0808
  C 88A536 9
  Wa
  203
  M7 V M7 D
  Li Yingkou
  0809
  X 300000 0
  000
  K0 V
  Li Chifeng
  0810
  B 98A647 9
  702
  M7 V M7 D
  Note1: HIWG calls the subsector Lentuli.
  Note2:
  Marhaban
  is
  the
  homeworld
  of
  the
  Newts,
  otherwise
  known
  as
  Bwaps
  <proper name?>.
  This
  is
  cited
  as
  their
  homeworld
  in
  JTAS
  11,
  and
  is
  therefore canonical. T4 appears to have re-housed them somewhere in the Old
  Expanses.
  They achieved spaceflight under the Ziru Sirka, and have retained it.
   
  Akec Tedidim - newt presence. 
  Hipper - If Ikoma/Marhaban in capable of interstellar travel the starport is class B and TL A, 
  with alien enclaves. 
  Kobe - starport more in name than in reality - member of Di, and active in trading. 
  Li Changun and Li Chifeng. The former was previously a colony world of the latter and the 
  two enjoy close relations. Changun's ruling elite (The House of Stewards?) are the dynasty 
  of the former colonial Governor-Generals. Both systems have a Dishani Mission present, 
  and look to stronger links. 
  Mikik - isolated settlements around small water sources. Despite the presence of primitive 
  aircraft there is only radio communication between settlements. 
  Mildew - surprisingly high humidity levels for a small world. 
  St David's Abbey (0207) An isolated monastic community rules the only surviving enclave 
  on this harsh world. 
  Teutoberger (0107, Tripitaka, C 574675 B). A world of dark and tangled forests, outside the 
  boundaries of both the Ziru Sirka and the Rule of Man, settled by groups hailing from 
  Germany and Eastern Europe, by way of (elsewhere), before Twilight. Retention of some 
  primitive interplanetary capability, but no contra-grav. 
   
   
  
  UPP DATA FOR TSCHUDIA SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Kurayoshi
  0210
  - 8B0--- -
  De
  -04
  K7 V
  Diefenbaker
  0309
  - 210--- -
  -04
  G9 V M7 D
  Arabia
  0310
  - 648--- -
  -10
  M3 V M3 D
  Tarascon
  0408
  - 774--- -
  -23
  M5 V
  Sio'mawasi
  0409
  - 7C0--- -
  De Sw
  -05
  B5 V M4 D
  Narada
  0410
  - 757--- -
  -02
  M2 II
  Yamaguchi
  0506
  - 433--- -
  -10
  M3 V
  Aswan
  0508
  - 420--- -
  -03
  M3 V M3 D
  Listualro
  0509
  - 443--- -
  -23
  K1 V M8 D
  Chisholm
  0607
  - 84A--- -
  Wa
  -03
  G5 V
  Kitayushu
  0609
  - 501--- -
  Ic
  -03
  F9 V
  Goto Retto
  0610
  - 8A6--- -
  Fl
  -04
  M7 V
  Tocityne
  0707
  - 774--- -
  -14
  M0 V M0 D
  Dotilla
  0709
  - 140--- -
  De
  -05
  M5 V
  Starsky
  0710
  - 338--- -
  -14
  M4 1a M4 D
   
  
  UPP DATA FOR HEBRIN SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Muso
  0106
  _ 232--- -
  De
  -03
  K6 V
  Mugama
  0108
  _ 869--- -
  -03
  M0 V
  Makarou
  0109
  _ 596--- -
  -02
  K4 V M5 D
  Ragiimekus
  0110
  _ 8A6--- -
  Fl
  -13
  M8 V
  Omerta
  0206
  _ 9B0--- -
  De
  -04
  A3 V K3 D
  Nieuwould
  0210
  _ 585--- -
  -00
  K4 V
  Miyazaki
  0303
  _ 6A7--- -
  Fl
  -20
  K4 V
  Hebrin
  0310
  _ 250--- -
  -13
  M8 V M1 D
  Pynchan
  0410
  _ 257--- -
  -12
  M5 V
  Hokkaido
  0508
  _ 610--- -
  -12
  K8 V
  Tshane Eiseb
  0509
  _ AA9--- -
  -00
  G0 V
  Venda
  0510
  _ 330--- -
  De
  -13
  M6 V K6 D
  Cometela
  0607
  _ 78A--- -
  Wa
  -14
  K8 V
  Painted Orb
  0510
  _ 434--- -
  -04
  M7 V M8 D
  Chugoku
  0723
  _ 000--- -
  As
  -00
  G1 V M5 D
  Silence
  0728
  _ 225--- -
  -01
  M3 II
  
  UPP DATA FOR MARIKAAD SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Uurvalaa As
  0105
  B 510133 A
  Lo
  102
  K8 V
  Buurki
  0106
  B 333311 A
  Po Lo
  101
  M0 V
  Irguu
  0107
  B 610755 7
  Na
  403
  M7 IV M4 D
  Ishlar Kuuim
  0108
  X AC3000 0
  Fl Ba
  010
  A2 V M3 D K3 D
  Kis
  0201
  D 464444 6
  Lo
  625
  G8 D
  KUUE IR
  0204
  B 99AABB B
  In Wa Hi
  920
  F1 D M8 D
  Ghou
  0205
  D 5548BB 7
  834
  F3 VI M8 D
  Annikhuu
  0207
  X 463000 0
  Ba
  004
  M8 D
  Khikin
  0208
  B 8AA566 B
  Wa
  105
  K0 VI
  Kiiiki
  0209
  E 200333 6
  Lo Va
  204
  M1 V M5D
  Maguu
  0304
  E 3227BB 0 A Na Po
  902
  F6 VI M5 D
  Ramu
  0306
  X 755000 0
  Ba
  012
  G5 V M9 D
  Deduurgalu
  0309
  X 583000 0
  Ba
  014
  K4 V
  Kaaarrap
  0310
  X 7B3000 0
  Fl Ba
  010
  G7 V
  Eshkhuundguu
  0403
  E 994100 6
  Lo
  905
  G0 D M8 D
  Geankish
  0405
  D 765300 4
  Lo
  323
  M8 D M5 D
  Korparov
  0410
  C 8B08AA B
  De
  600
  F9 D
  Ishdi Un
  0502
  D 262577 5
  Ni
  510
  F1 VI
  Mapashar
  0503
  X 000000 0
  As Va Ba
  004
  M3 D M5 D
  Khavla
  0505
  C 140644 9
  Ni Po De
  204
  F9 D
  Dime Lu
  0508
  C 665855 6
  Ri
  404
  G3 VI M3 D
  Gikuushkhuu
  0510
  B 7B1422 9
  Lo Fl
  304 K0 V
  Endin Nuu
  0601
  X 748000 0
  Ba
  023
  K9 V
  Luumaish
  0603
  D 444400 5
  Lo
  313
  K3 V M3 D
  Mikhuuuurishush
  0607
  B 632400 8
  Po Lo
  203
  K5 V
  Ardii
  0608
  X 6B5000 0
  Fl Ba
  022
  M5 II M1 D
  KHASLU KARKHUU
  0701
  E 798999 0
  Hi
  923
  G4 D M3 D M6 D
  Iirluu
  0705
  C 777599 6
  Ag Ni
  313
  G6 V M4 D
  Dini
  0709
  D 382655 A
  Ni Ri
  413
  F6 D M5 D
  Kiir
  0805
  B 99A611 8
  Ni Wa
  432
  F9 V
  Kashark Ai
  0807
  E 667233 5
  Lo
  604
  F5 D M0 D
  Base type A denotes an AAB Repository.
  First Survey also suggests a N base at Maguu (0304) - whose Navy?
  Official FS UPPs state:
  Ramu
  0306
  E 755000 0
  Ba
  012
  G5 V M9 D
  Deduurgalu
  0309
  C 583000 0 S Ba
  014
  K4 V
  Kaaarrap
  0310
  B 7B3000 0
  Fl Ba
  010
  G7 V
  Eshkhuundguu
  0403
  E 994100 6 S Lo
  905
  G0 D M8 D
  Mapashar
  0503
  E 000000 6
  As Va Ba
  004
  M3 D M5 D
  Ardii
  0608
  C 6B5000 8
  Fl Ba
  022
  M5 II M1 D
  Endin Nuu
  0601
  D 748000 6
  Ba
  023
  K9 V
  
  UPP DATA FOR EPERDISH SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Ka
  0102
  C 568421-8
  Ni
  E
  602
  Di
  Mordachus
  0103
  B 525543-A
  Ni
  200
  Di
  Setu
  0105
  B 220367-9
  Ni De
  200
  Nulinad
  0106
  C 88A655-9
  Ni Ri Wa
  612
  Irbicht
  0108
  X 579679-1
  Ni
  C
  913
  Largidkush
  0109
  C 6757BF-5
  Ag
  904
  F0V
  Gashiimud
  0201
  C 301459-9
  R
  Ni Ic Va
  212
  Di
  EUFRATIES
  0202
  A 48599A-B
  N
  In Hi
  120
  G5IV M9VI
  Di
  Imperdagak
  0210
  C 8C87A7-7
  (Fl)
  215
  Miiburesh
  0302
  B 523845-A
  Na Po
  724
  K2V DM
  Di
  Shiinukaagi
  0304
  C 100563-A
  Ni Va
  903
  Di
  Dashlaar
  0307
  C 558557-8
  Ag Ni
  401
  Arzareth
  0308
  E 531124-8
  Ni Po
  102
  EPERDISH
  0310
  A 686996-B
  Hi
  804
  Lc
  Mughamkhiram
  0401
  C 200368-7
  Ni Va
  521
  Di
  Rakamdarmim
  0403
  D 859522-6
  R
  Ni
  321
  Di
  Hyams
  0407
  C 996514-6
  Ni
  710
  KARAGANDA
  0409
  B 9A2944-A
  (Fl) Hi
  205
  Lc
  Vaekodhsu
  0501
  B 898576-8
  Ag Ni
  583
  Di
  Pharoah
  0504
  C 564446-7
  Ni
  710
  Di
  Duusgakhar
  0505
  B 446534-9
  N
  Ag Ni
  701
  G0VI
  Di
  GEKARKAGUSHAAM
  0508
  B 79699A-A
  In Hi
  202
  lc
  Mamgaashi
  0509
  C 300875-9
  Na Va
  304
  lc
  Agde
  0602
  C 679674-6
  Ni
  601
  Di
  Murkhabir
  0603
  E 100000-0
  Ba Va
  021
  Di
  Heuvel
  0605
  D 554775-6
  Ag Ni
  C
  912
  Di
  Shegasha
  0702
  B 668754-5
  Ag Ri
  223
  F5V
  Di
  DISHANIRASH
  0703
  A 400A88-C
  N
  Na In Hi
  123
  Di
  Sami
  0704
  B 443400-9
  Ni Po
  724
  Di
  AUGARIEN
  0706
  A 86698C-8
  N
  Hi
  101
  F4V
  Di
  Forniss
  0708
  E 797438-3
  R
  Ni
  913
  Ambwez
  0710
  D 767683-4
  Ag Ni Ri
  125
  SKELTER
  0803
  A 000972-C
  R
  Na In Hi As
  533
  Di
  Ugigiinaar
  0808
  C 576559-9
  Ag Ni
  913
   
  General Information: There is no designated capital for the Eperdish subsector. Historically 
  Irbicht fulfilled that function but since Second Empire war has reduced the world to a 
  primitive society. Dishanirash, as capital of the Dishani Combine, is generally recognised as 
  the most important system. 
  N denotes a Dishani Combine Naval Facility. 
  R denotes a Dishani Combine Bureau of Reconnaissance Facility. 
  C indicates that a Cautionary Notice has been posted. 
  E indicates that an Exclusion notice has been posted. 
  Allegiance:  
  Di represents worlds of the Dishani Combine. 
   
   
  lc represents worlds of the Lameshid Confederacy  
  
  UPP DATA FOR WURENISH SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Girmargemsabush
  0102
  D 147534 7
  Ag
  101
  Di
  Wurenish
  0103
  B 7548BA B
  Ag
  923
  Di
  Ruhomid
  0108
  - 463--- -
  --G
  Hd
  Edmarkhiik
  0205
  - 000 –– –
  ––G
  Hd
  PRIPYAT
  0206
  A 8869–– A
  –––
  Hd
  Zarkunmigarar
  0207
  – 6A6––– –
  ––G
  Hd
  Sarnath
  0306
  A 679––– 9
  ––0
  Hd
  Falmer
  0307
  – 720––– –
  ––G
  Kamerun
  0308
  B 654––– –
  ––0
  Hd
  Domingo
  0403
  – 568366 –
  ––G
  Kimasgush
  0408
  – 300––– –
  ––G
  Sigedadsirdan
  0409
  – 354––– –
  –––
  Gyrus
  0501
  – 454––– –
  ––G
  ORPEDIA
  0504
  – 966984 –
  5–G
  Fletcher
  0602
  – 556––– –
  ––G
  Cuidath
  0705
  – 75487A –
  ––G
  Arshirkimkir
  0706
  – 343––– –
  ––G
  Habsdrubal
  0709
  – 400––– –
  ––G
  Carthago
  0710
  – 696––– –
  ––G
  Blencathra
  0804
  – 795––– –
  ––G
   
  There are 20 worlds in the Wurenish subsector, which is named after the major Dishani 
  Combine planet present, although Orpedia has a higher population (and TL?). The cincopoi, 
  a minor alien race control 6 systems, with their homeworld at Pripyat (0206). The highest 
  population is (provisionally) 5,459,000 on Orpedia. 
  The subsector was never incorporated into either the Ziru Sirka or the Rule of Man, although 
  some planets were colonised by Vilani or Solomani settlers. 
  
  UPP DATA FOR CHALCIS SUBSECTOR. 
  NAME 
   
   
  HEX 
  UPP 
   
    BASE & CODES  
  PBG 
  SUN 
   
  AL 
   
  Akrotiri
  0101
  _ 424--- -
  -04
  K9 V
  Hateruma
  0103
  _ 244--- -
  -03
  M6 V
  Baleartics
  0104
  _ 412--- -
  Ic
  -15
  M7 V
  Chalcis
  0107
  _ 644--- -
  -03
  M5 V
  Newsphere
  0108
  _ 454--- -
  -05
  M0 V M0 D
  Pegasus
  0201
  _ 529--- -
  -05
  K5 V
  Yonaguni's Star
  0203
  _ 445--- -
  -03
  M8 V M8 D
  Senkaku
  0206
  _ 513--- -
  Ic
  -01
  M7 V
  Belumar
  0208
  _ 693--- -
  -01
  G2 V
  Neauris
  0302
  _ R00--- -
  Va
  -24
  A7 IV M7 D
  Ballard
  0304
  _ 420--- -
  De
  -32
  M2 V M2 D
  Pargo
  0307
  _ 68A--- -
  Wa
  -04
  G7 II M8 D
  Tsarina
  0402
  _ 000--- -
  As
  -13
  M3 V
  Irash
  0406
  _ 579--- -
  -01
  M8 V
  Chernobyl
  0407
  _ 783--- -
  -03
  M2 V
  Dimitri
  0408
  _ 211--- -
  -00
  M3 V M3 D
  Edenvale
  0409
  _ 469--- -
  -02
  M2 II M2 D
  Borden's Star
  0504
  _ 434--- -
  -00
  G9 V
  Amamioshima
  0508
  _ 642--- -
  -15
  A7 V
  Signet
  0607
  _ 783--- -
  -13
  K4 V
  Rethmnon
  0701
  _ 234--- -
  -00
  M6 V
  Okinoerabu
  0801
  _ 000--- -
  As
  -22
  M5 V
  Muskoka
  0804
  _ 200--- -
  Va
  -01
  M4 V
  
  ADVENTURE SEEDS AND RUMOURS. 
  Agde: although the library data gives no clues there is plenty of space for interspecies 
  rivalry. Would Bi’ilami desperate to mate attack humans simply to get the right hormone 
  levels, or even for sport– 
  Augarien: the complex societal minefield has plenty of scope to confuse PCs; it is in short a 
  bureaucratic nightmare – and a good homeworld for Travellers wishing to escape. 
  Dishanirash: space for shogun/diplomatic/kingmaker types (especially over the coming of the 
  Imperium). 
  Eperdish: a freelance spying mission over the presence of the Imperium and what they’re 
  really after will reveal that there is no IINS or IISS presence. Has DCI station Eperdish been 
  compromised, or is something else going on, and if so where, and who is to blame. (Naval 
  Intelligence playing power games–) 
  Cadbury/Vaekodhsu: It was never officially under the thumb of the Eufraties Command, or 
  the subsequent Protectorate, so why is it a member of the Combine– 
  Forniss: A good-sized world with little in the way of population must hold much of value. So 
  why hasn’t the Combine started to exploit it– 
  Heuvel: There is plenty of potential for mercenary campaigns as well as space for political 
  skulduggery (espionage and diplomacy). 
  Hyams: Émigrés or refugees could require bodyguards, or some really unscrupulous players 
  could try to take the place over. Alternatively a travelling evangelist could use a starship. 
  Imperdagak: Why would anyone choose to go there, let alone live there– There must be 
  some useful resources– Is there something that isn’t being revealed– 
  Ka: A misjump could really land PCs in very deep water. 
  Largidkush: political possibilities abound, such as convincing the leader of the virtues of 
  joining one polity or another – but there is no possibility of technological advantage. 
  Miiburesh: what could be made of the phrase ‘tourist trap’– 
  Mordachus: what really happened– 
  Pharoah: Political Revolution. Intrigue. The meaning of the Pyramid Mountains (possibly the 
  Ancients have a part to play here…) 
  At a corporate level Suorok is not only a successful company in its own right, but also the 
  Covert Intelligence and Espionage Bureau of Sytaëf ApK. DCI are aware of this and 
  maintain close links, ConfedInt do not. 
  
  FAITHS AND PHILOSOPHIES. 
  The major faith groups of both Solomani and Vilani origin have been widely disseminated 
  throughout the stars dominated by humaniti and this area is no exception to that diaspora. 
  Solomani and Terran Faith Groups. 
  Christianity. 
  Of the major Terran denominations present in the Milieu0 environment there are two with 
  sizeable followings. The Orthodox Church holds sway over much of the Christians in the 
  area, particularly the United Slavonic Rite Orthodox Church. This church is the official church 
  of the Dishani Combine to which the majority of believers belong. Its conservatism appeals 
  to the Vilani elements of the population over the more progressive Reformed Terran Catholic 
  Church (although progressive is a relative word!) The RTCC was formed shortly after the 
  Terrans took to the stars, which makes it some 2000 years younger than the Orthodox 
  (although the major component, the majority of the Roman Catholic Church, is as ancient as 
  the Orthodox.) The RTCC is definitely a minority, but a significant one, to which some 20-
  25% of Christians in the region belong. 
  Islam. 
  The followers of the Prophet are also to be found in the subsector, with a power-base in the 
  Lameshid Confederacy. 
  Vilani Faith and Thought Systems. 
  The highly conservative Vilani inevitably brought their ways of faith and thought to the stars 
  with the Vilani Ziru Sirka. The two major Vilani religious groups are to be found in the 
  subsector. Both are centred around the remembrance/veneration of the Vilani ancestors and 
  the examples they have left behind for the living. Neither has any well defined concept of 
  divinity, but does remember the impact of the old Ancient war machines that scoured Vland 
  through centuries of prehistory, the (), the demons. Both schools teach that death is not final 
  until an individual has passed from the memory of the race. 
  The Way of Being. 
  The Irkhu Galasshu, or the Way of Being, is among the oldest of the remaining Vilani faiths, 
  and can be viewed as much as a philosophical system as a religion. Despite their 
  conservative natures nearly all Vilani faith systems acknowledge the occurrence and 
  necessity of change. Galasshui (followers of the Way of Being) recognise change as a 
  lamentable reality and tend to be somewhat fatalistic. There is a beginning to life, growth in 
  life, physical death and ultimately the end of the anima (spirit/identity) as the last vestiges of 
  person-hood dissolve back to the cosmos from which they were formed. This process of 
  dissolution, however, is seen as a very slow one and is not counted as having occurred until 
  the name of the individual has been lost to the living, thus integrity of the animae are 
  preserved by acts of remembrance. The records of the Galasshui, although fragmentary in 
  places, extend back for thousands of years. 
  Acts of remembrance and veneration are performed regularly, usually by the senior male 
  member of the household in the family shrine, and children are not only taught the names 
  and deeds of their forebears, but often take at least one of their names as their own. In 
  worship the presence and knowledge of the departed are sought, since they have passed 
  beyond mortal sight and can give their experience to their descendants and also, to some 
  extent, perceive the events of the future.  
  The Way of Action. 
  Deriving from the Irkhu Galasshu is the Irkhu Mugriima – the way of action. During the 
  dislocation and uncertainty following the collapse of the Ziru Sirka and the rulership of the 
  Terrans there arose a faction within the Irkhu Galasshu that strove to promote what might be 
  termed “proper Vilani attitudes”, one of which was response. It was no longer enough to 
  simply behave in the same manner as always: this patently had not worked, and was a stain 
  
  upon the character of the Vilani race. Within 50 years this had resulted in a formal schism 
  and so the Irkhu Mugriima came into being – The Way of Action. Where its parent promoted 
  meditation upon and the following of the ways that had gone before the Irkhu Mugriima 
  advocated the necessity of change, or active emulation, taking the example of those who 
  had challenged the status quo without surrendering what it took, in most part, as the core 
  values of being Vilani. 
  The Five Fundamentals of the Irkhu Mugriima. 
  Gaakamgagi 
  The Five, the Paragons, those who set the example for proper behaviour. 
  Shaakamgagi 
  The Favoured, the elevated examples who point the way the Paragons. 
  Kaadiri  
  The Faithful, those who follow the Paragons and are the supreme examples 
  Ashukiri 
  The Fearful, those who would not join the way of the faithful, the Irkhu Galasshu. 
  Lashmaku 
  The Fiends, the anti-types, who stand against the example of the Gaakamgagi. 
   
  Where the Irkhu Galasshu taught that the anima of the ancestors lasted for as long as their 
  name was preserved and accessible to the race the Irkhu Mugriima (The Way of Action) 
  promulgated a different view. For the Kaadiri death is an inevitable part of the process of life, 
  but once an individual has passed beyond the range of those with personal memory of the 
  deceased the anima re-enters the physical realm and is dissolved. The Kaadiri seek to join 
  the ranks of the Shaakamgagi, the elevated, those whose obedience and example are 
  preserved among the followers and mediated by the priests. 
  Even though the animae of the ancestors (both personal & racial) may have passed beyond 
  recall, and what might be termed personality, they are still ceremonially remembered in a 
  number of major festivals. 
  Both are vaguely akin to Shinto/Confucian/ancestor worship practices of Terra, and both are 
  conservative in attitude, stressing the importance of natural order and the place of the 
  individual within society, like a cog in a machine. Rank and deference towards ones betters 
  are encouraged. However where the Irkhu Galasshu is somewhat fatalistic, the Irkhu 
  Mugriima encourages activity and emulation of exemplary figures from Vilani history, the 
  Gaakamgagi or Paragons. The Irkhu Mugriima, while not discouraging such household 
  activity also stresses the importance of higher levels of organisation and worship in temples 
  to Paragons maintained by priestly classes and monks. Both sects celebrate two major 
  festivals annually– Annual ceremonies. 
  Islam - tend to Lameshid Confederacy.(Uzbek & Kazakh)  
  All with some degree of hierarchy. 
  Parallelism, syncretism at a household level, but not at a structural one. Few Terran saints in 
  the Terran Christian faith could be paralleled to Vilani paragons, most would be accorded 
  reverence as shaakamgagi. Heresiarch as a Paragon, Marshall as of 3150AD.(Up to 20% of 
  Vilani strand – 7% Terran). Details of factions etc. Fanatics/supremacists. 
  
  WORKING CONCEPTS. 
  The ruling class of Dishanirash draws its roots from the military-industrial complex needed to 
  provide the survival of the citizens of the system, many of whom are extremely wealthy, and 
  can thus purchase of citizenship for the family, either for only the eldest, or for the greatest 
  houses for all members. These families provide a group analogous to a hereditary nobility. 
  Such Patronage families as exist hold power, status and riches, as well as a number of 
  ‘remittance men’, and tolerated eccentrics. Among these fringe family members are a 
  number whose philosophical pursuits and democratic/political concepts would receive the 
  attention of the state security apparatus as subversive.  
  Possibilities of long-term planning by some of these (even rising to quite high in families) – 
  conspiracy theory and some influential. Single shot/small adventures, bodyguard & retinue 
  campaigns. This conspiracy functions under the name of the Gareshi, a legendary Vilani 
  agitator (parallel to a combination of Che Guevara and Robin Hood from Solomani history) 
  How aware are the Bureaux and to what degree are they infiltrated– (DCI station Eperdish 
  for example has been compromised, sending reports of Imperial influence for propaganda 
  purposes.) Possibility of Gareshi contacts with democratic planetary governments or 
  organisations within them. How powerful, how much clout– 
  Eufraties has an impersonal Bureaucracy and was the site of the EC, and there was the 
  existence of the polity known as the Eufratian Protectorate. Is there evidence/space of a 
  democratic tradition. Miiburesh is also a democracy. Skelter might provide some interest or 
  bases…. 
  (What is not known: the Gareshi have infiltrated a large amount of the system, and as such 
  pose a threat to the Bureaux, but the Gareshi are themselves under the control of a Cabal of 
  middle ranking officers, patronage families and industrialists from the whole Combine. 
  Traveller meets Illuminati…)) 
  Setu colony (directly/indirectly under Sytaëf ApK control) – orbital station/city for regional 
  division–  headquarters – major trading centre. [Osterhaas Base] Possibility of breakthrough 
  to J-5, or close possibilities. If the Combine knew they would be in – Imperial could be 
  interested too. Knowledge would be dangerous to their survival. 
  Action: unhappy to ally Combine, LC hasn’t got long-term ‘umph’. Syleans/Imperials would 
  be very interested. Nightmare scenario: Combine take-over. Need for independent power for 
  resistance, otherwise a method for prevention of take-over – subversion/co-option of 
  Lameshid Confederacy. Covert actions within Combine to undermine direct Combine action, 
  a major campaign of disinformation. 
  How does one reach a place of influence in government: or gain power– Dishani govt: 
  access via promotion in Bureaux, or feats of worth. Citizenship bought by money. 
  For the majority of the populace there are only two routes into governmental authority within 
  Dishanirashi government. 
  The first is via the route of Citizenship election. Dishanirash citizenship is a rare and special 
  thing which most individuals can only hope to attain through meritorious service to the state 
  (the luckier few can but it outright). Citizens are entitled to stand for election to the Citizen’s 
  Chamber of Dishanirash, the suffrage for which is not related to status.. All members of the 
  Chamber may sit in the Dishani Conclave of Members (the lower house of government) by 
  right. 
  The second route to authority is through the various Bureaux which form the apparatus of 
  government. Service may result in the awarding of Citizenship, as outlined above, but may 
  
  also result in the appointment of an individual to one of the many committees of government, 
  and even into the Conclave of Members (the higher house). 
  QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED. 
   
  How, if at all, does the Dishani Combine relate to: Pacification Campaigns– Vargr 
  Incursions– 
  Julian Protectorate– 
   
  What will happen with, and to, the Lameshid Confederacy– 
   
  Need: 
  Concepts of succession. Just who is the High Marshall at present– Who was the first– How 
  are they chosen– Suggest promotion by merit– How is the Triumvirate organised– Societal 
  and legal principles– Law enforcement - loan word from Vilani (cf. Provosts – Ridshumshur, 
  singular Ridshumshurim, deriving from the Vilani equivalent term for Naval Security Police, 
  and thus showing something of the origins of the organisation as a fusion between the 
  Solomani Naval Provosts of the 2nd Empire forces and the Internal Security Authority of 
  Kagekaashaam, the Vilani corporation. 
  Technological base– 
  Character types and generation rules: 
  Navy, 
  Resources Bureau, 
  Ridshumshur 
  Details of available benefits. e.g. what is the point of Dishanirash citizenship 
  
  NAMES & OTHER TRIVIA. 
   
  Corporate Identities. 
  Vortigern Prime 
  Hengist something. Hengist-Marcos Lines– 
  Ramm 
  Sheppard Corporation 
  Combine Worlds’ Service of the Bureaux Communications Channels. 
  Especiacan 
  Horsa; a heavy construction and starship manufacturing organisation, closely aligned with 
  the (reformed) Vortigern Prime. 
  Harommag & Modos 
  Duvalier & Iiglishakur 
  Eth Inc. 
   
  Places. 
  Capital of Dishanirash, or at least the centre for the Bureau of Information (sub-unit of BIA–) 
  is Lunden. 
  Osterhaas base (orbital HQ of Sytaëf ApK) 
  Capital of Augarien is Donneboeuq, the starport is Warlus Down. 
   
  People. 
  Helyot Azolt is definitely an individual; quite possibly the current High Marshall and head of 
  the Bureau of Internal Affairs. 
  Rahistan Gerrov 
  Yaroslavl Gerrov 
  Mitsuko Saurez 
  Jeremias ben-Craddock 
  Ehud Bjornsson 
  Kenhelm Chi-Jong 
  Lars al-Mansur 
  Winstone Riceour 
  Ibrahim Eylott 
   
  Planets & Systems. 
  Dugashvili 
  Vintners 
  Scutage 
  Mukhemu 
   
  Acronyms. 
  DNV: Dishani Naval Vessel 
  DMS: Dishani Merchant Ship. 
   
  
  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 
   
  Dishani Combine members beyond Eperdish. 
   
  4 members of the Dishani Combine are to be found outside the Eperdish subsector. These 
  are: 
   
  In the Tripitaka Subsector: 
  Bhoddoshivata
  0210
  B 442755 9
  Na Ni Po
  P–G
  dc
  Kobe
  0610
  C 899578 5
  Ni
  503
  M6 V M8 D
  dc
   
  In the Wurenish Subsector: 
  Girmargemsabush
  0102
  D 147534 7
  Ag
  G
  dc
  Wurenish
  0103
  B 7548BA B
  Ag
  G
  dc
  Non-member 
  Mildew (0110 Tripitaka) D 235202 5 Ni Po
  P
   
  
  Appendix 1: Rules Specific Information. 
   
  CLASSIC TRAVELLER & MEGATRAVELLER. 
  Character Generation Sequences. 
  Basic Characters. 
   
  Of the six original Book 1 character types all except the Scouts and the Marines are valid 
  within the Eperdish Campaign Setting. The former are replaced by the Reconnaissance and 
  Resource (R&R) Agent type, the latter by the Resource Security Cohort. None of the 
  occupations from the in Supplement 4, Citizens of the Imperium, are unsuitable, although 
  Barbarians may be particularly appropriate if the characters come from some of the more 
  distant worlds, and Belters may only be created with if Skelter is their home system. The 
  Noble career is appropriate in some cases, but not universally (dependent upon homeworld), 
  while the Bureaucrat career is especially suitable for generic employment among the Dishani 
  Bureaux. The Diplomat career represents service with the Dishani Combine Corps of 
  Legates. The Megatraveller Agent career is particularly suitable for occupation with the 
  Combine Bureau of Internal Affairs. 
   
  The Draft does not operate within either the Dishani Combine or the Lameshid Confederacy 
  in the same manner as the standard rules. In the Lameshid Confederacy, simply attempt 
  enlistment in a different service, a second failure results in the character following the Rogue 
  career (or Other, if Supplement 4 is unavailable). Use the following table for the Dishani 
  Combine. 
   
  Dishani Combine Draft Table. 
   
  DIE ROLL 
  CAREER. 
  1- 
  Rogue 
  2 
  Merchant 
  3 
  Bureaucrat 
  4 
  Bureaucrat 
  5 
  Scientist 
  6 
  Doctor 
  7+ 
  Diplomat 
  DM: -1 if Edu 4; -1 if Soc 4- 
  DM: +1 if Int 10+; +1 if Soc 10+ 
   
  Advanced Characters. 
  The rules from Book 4, Mercenary, (or the equivalent Megatraveller rules, in this and all 
  following cases) may be freely used for Army characters within the Eperdish Campaign 
  Setting. The rules concerning Marines do not apply however. Naval Characters should use 
  the rules in Book 5, High Guard, treating the Dishani Combine forces as a Subsector Navy. 
  Note that due to the stance of the Combine towards centralisation there are no planetary 
  navies belonging to member worlds of the Combine which possess interstellar capacity. In 
  contrast the Lameshid Confederacy maintains no unified navy, depending upon the forces 
  from each of its member worlds (and Karaganda itself has no naval forces of consequence). 
   
  For the military services the names for recognition of wounds suffered and decorations 
  received for bravery, are of course, different. In the Dishani Combine injuries and wounds 
  received as a result of Police Actions, Counter-Insurgency and Raids results in the award of 
  a Wound Ribbon. The decorations of Meritorious Conduct Under Fire (MCUF), Medal for 
  Conspicuous Gallantry (MCG) and Starburst for Extreme Heroism (SEH) are replaced by 
  Mention in Despatches (MiD), Combat Cross (CC) and Legion of Honour (LH). The 
  Lameshid Confederacy recognises wounds in combat action with the Blood Cross, and 
  bravery with the Citation for Bravery (CB), Confederation Medal of Gallantry (CMG) and the 
  Order of St Ekaterina (OSE). 
  
   
  Since there is no Scout service the generation rules in Book 6, Scouts, are inapplicable. 
  Advanced Merchant characters may be created in accordance with Book 7, Merchant 
  Prince, remembering that the largest merchant operations are subsector-wide lines, such as 
  the transportation and mercantile elements of the Dishani Combine Bureau of Trade and 
  Industry, the independent Vortigern prime Consortium and Sytaëf ApK. As such there is no 
  Merchant Academy. 
  
  Resource Security Cohort  
  Basic Character Generation. 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
   
  PRIOR SERVICE TABLE 
   
  Enlistment 
  9+ 
  DM +1 if  
  Str 8+ 
  DM +2 if  
  Int 8+ 
   
  Survival  
  7+ 
  DM+2 if  
  End 10+ 
   
  Commission 
  9+ 
  DM +1 if  
  Int 8+ 
   
  Promotion 
  9+ 
  DM +1 if  
  Edu 8+ 
   
  Reenlist  
  5+ 
   
  TABLE OF RANKS 
  Rank 1  
  Lieutenant 
  Rank 2  
  Captain 
  Rank 3  
  Major 
  Rank 4  
  Colonel 
  Rank 5  
  Major-General 
  Rank 6  
  General 
   
   
  RANK AND SERVICE SKILLS 
  Cohor 
   
  Gun Cbt 
  Cohor Lieutenant Ship's Boat 
   
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  MUSTERING OUT TABLES 
   
  Benefits Table  
  1 
  Low Passage 
  2 
  +1 Int 
  3 
  +1 Edu 
  4 
  Blade 
  5 
  High Passage  
  6 
  Dishanirash Citizenship 
  7 
  +1 Soc. 
  Characters with rank 5 or 6 may add +1 to their rolls 
  on this table. Gun and blade benefits must be 
  declared immediately; additional benefits of that 
  type may be declared as skill. 
   
  Cash Table 
  1 
   5000 
  2 
   5000 
  3 
  10000 
  4 
  10000 
  5 
  20000 
  6 
  30000 
  7 
  50000 
  A maximum of three rolls are allowed on the cash 
  table; all remaining rolls must be on the benefits 
  table. Individuals with gambling expertise are 
  allowed a DM of +1 on the cash table. 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  ACQUIRED SKILLS TABLES 
   
  Personal Development Table 
  1 
  +1 Str 
  2 
  +1 Dex 
  3 
  +1 End 
  4 
  Gambling 
  5 
  Blade Combat 
  6 
  Brawling 
   
  Service Skills Table 
  1 
  Vac Suit 
  2 
  Gun Combat 
  3 
  Tactics 
  4 
  Gun Combat 
  5 
  Vehicle 
  6 
  Blade Combat 
   
   
   
  Advanced Education Table 
  1 
  Mechanic 
  2 
  Gunnery 
  3 
  Survey 
  4 
  Leader 
  5 
  Survival 
  6 
  Tactics 
   
  Advanced Education Table (Edu 8+ only) 
  1 
  Engineering 
  2 
  Pilot 
  3 
  Navigation 
  4 
  Computer 
  5 
  Medical 
  6 
  Prospecting 
   
   
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  
  T4 
  Character Generation Sequences. 
  
  Bureaucrat. 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  This career path represents the sort of life and skills acquired by service among the Dishani Bureaux. 
  Enlistment: 
  9-; DM +1 if Edu 8+; DM+2 if Str 8-. 
  Injury:  
  10-; DM +2 if Edu 10+ 
  Commission: 
  8-; DM +1 if Soc 9+. 
  Promotion: 
  7-; DM +1 if Int 9+. 
  Continuance: 
  9- 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
   
  1. 
  Physical 
  1. 
  +1 End 
  2. 
  +1 Edu 
  3. 
  +1 Int 
  4. 
  Brawling 
  5. 
  +1 Dex 
  6. 
  Carousing 
   
  2. 
  Mental 
  1. 
  Academic 
  2. 
  Business 
  3. 
  Law 
  4. 
  Interrogation 
  5. 
  Sciences 
  6. 
  +1 Edu 
   
  3. 
  Educational 
  1. 
  Business 
  2. 
  Computer 
  3. 
  Sciences 
  4. 
  Admin 
   
  5. 
  Instruction 
   
  6. 
  Leadership 
   
  4. 
  Social 
  1. 
  Clandestine 
  2. 
  Carousing 
  3. 
  Performance 
  4. 
  Brawling 
  5. 
  Gambling 
  6. 
  Grav Vehicle 
   
  5. 
  Career 
  1. 
  Charisma 
  2. 
  Sciences 
  3.  Gun Combat 
  4.  Computer 
  5. 
  Admin 
  6. 
  Bureaucracy 
   
  6. 
  Background. 
  1. 
  Ground Vehicle 
  2. 
  Gun Combat 
  3. 
  Jack-of-all-Trades 
  4. 
  Performance 
  5. 
  Grav Vehicle 
  6. 
  Blade Combat  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  Table of Ranks 
  Non-Commissioned 
  Rank E1  
  Junior Clerk 
  Rank E2  
  Clerk, 2nd Grade 
  Rank E3  
  Clerk, 1st  Grade 
  Rank E4  
  Clerical Officer 2nd Grade 
  Rank E5  
  Clerical Officer, 1st Grade 
  Rank E6  
  Senior Clerical Officer 
  Rank E7  
  Supervisor 
  Rank E8  
  Senior Supervisor 
  Commissioned 
  Rank 01  
  Sub-Manager 
  Rank 02  
  Assistant Manager 
  Rank 03  
  Manager 
  Rank 04  
  Senior Manager 
  Rank 05  
  Assistant Executive 
  Rank 06  
  Executive 
  Rank 07  
  Senior Executive 
  Rank 08  
  Sub-Director 
  Rank 09  
  Assistant Director 
  Rank 10  
  Director 
  Rank & Service Skills. 
  All 
   
  Admin-1 
  Rank 03+ 
  Leadership-1 
   
  Skill Eligibility: 
  1 skill per year 
  1 skill per term for Commission 
  1 skill per term for Promotion 
   
  Mustering Out Tables 
  Die Roll Cash Table (credits) 
   1. 
  1 000 
   2. 
  5 000 
   3. 
  10 000 
   4. 
  10 000 
   5. 
  40 000 
   6. 
  40 000 
   7. 
  80 000 
   
  Die Roll Benefits Table  
   1. 
  Low Passage 
   2. 
  +1 Edu 
   3. 
  Middle Passage 
   4. 
  Watch 
   5. 
  High Passage 
   6. 
  +1 Soc 
   7. 
  Dishanirash Citizenship 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  
  Resource Security Cohort. 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  This career path represents the sort of life and skills acquired by service with the RSC. 
  Enlistment: 
  5-; DM +1 if Str 8+; DM+2 if Int 8+. 
  Injury:  
  7-; DM +2 if End 10+ 
  Commission: 
  5-; DM +1 if Int 8+. 
  Promotion: 
  5-; DM +1 if Edu 8+. 
  Continuance: 
  9- 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
   
  1. 
  Physical 
  1. 
  +1 Str 
  2. 
  +1 Dex 
  3. 
  +1 End 
  4. 
  Gun Combat 
  5. 
  Melee Combat 
  6. 
  Throwing 
   
  2. 
  Mental 
  1. 
  Exploration 
  2. 
  Sciences 
  3. 
  Tactics 
  4. 
  Technical 
  5. 
  Camouflage 
  6. 
  Technical 
   
  3. 
  Educational 
  1. 
  Prospecting 
  2. 
  Spacecraft 
  3. 
  Camouflage 
  4. 
  Recon 
   
  5. 
  Astrogation 
   
  6. 
  Computer 
   
  4. 
  Social 
  1. 
  Charisma 
  2. 
  Leadership 
  3. 
  Gambling 
  4. 
  Intimidation 
  5. 
  Interrogation 
  6. 
  Bureaucracy 
   
  5. 
  Career 
  1. 
  Vac Suit 
  2. 
  Gun Combat 
  3. 
  Gunnery 
  4. 
  Grav Vehicle 
  5. 
  Envt Combat 
  6. 
  Blade Combat 
   
  6. 
  Background. 
  1. 
  Clandestine 
  2. 
  Ground Vehicle 
  3. 
  Brawling 
  4. 
  Athletics 
  5. 
  Clandestine 
  6. 
  Grav Vehicle 
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
  Table of Ranks 
  Non-Commissioned 
  Rank E1  
  Private 
  Rank E2  
  Lance Corporal 
  Rank E3  
  Corporal 
  Rank E4  
  Sergeant 
  Rank E5  
  Staff Sergeant 
  Rank E6  
  Sergeant Major 
  Rank E7  
  Company Sergeant Major 
  Rank E8  
  Regimental Sergeant Major 
  Commissioned 
  Rank 01  
  2nd Lieutenant 
  Rank 02  
  Lieutenant 
  Rank 03  
  Captain 
  Rank 04  
  Major 
  Rank 05  
  Lieutenant Colonel 
  Rank 06  
  Colonel 
  Rank 07  
  Brigadier 
  Rank 08  
  Major General 
  Rank 09  
  Lieutenant General 
  Rank 10  
  General 
  Rank & Service Skills. 
  All 
   
  Long Blade-1, Gun Combat-1 
  Rank 01+ 
  Spacecraft-1 
   
  Skill Eligibility: 
  1 skill per year 
  1 skill per term for Commission 
  1 skill per term for Promotion 
   
  Mustering Out Tables 
  Die Roll Cash Table (credits) 
  1. 
  5 000 
  2. 
  5 000 
  3. 
  10 000 
  4. 
  10 000 
  5. 
  20 000 
  6. 
  30 000 
  7. 
  50 000 
   
  Die Roll Benefits Table  
  1. 
  Low Passage 
  2. 
  +1 Int 
  3. 
  +1 Edu 
  4. 
  Blade 
  5. 
  High Passage  
  6. 
  Dishanirash Citizenship 
  7. 
  +1 Soc  
  __________________________________________________________________________________________
   
  
  114 
   
   
  T5 
   
  
  115 
   
  Appendix 2: HIWG Statistics for The Empty Quarter. 
   
  Empty Quarter, Subsectors IJKMNO
  These listings are correct as of 001-1110.
  Sw = Native sapient 'homeworld'.
  These are the cultural centres of
  a
  local
  minor
  race.
  That
  race
  may
  not be limited to this world.
  Also, they may make up a minority of the population in other local
  systems without the 'Sw' code.
  Mr
  =
  is
  used
  only
  if
  the
  world
  is
  occupied
  by
  an
  off-world
  government.
  Im = Third Imperium
  Jr = Julian Protectorate (Rukadukaz Republic)
  Hl = Lorean Hegemony
  Cs = Client State (Imperial)
  Na = Non-aligned
  UWP FORMAT
  ==========
  The data in the sector text files is laid out in column format:
  1-14: Name
  15-18: HexNbr
  20-28: UWP
  31: Bases
  33-47: Codes & Comments
  49: Zone
  52-54: PBG
  56-57: Allegiance
  59-74: Stellar Data
  Subsector I - Lentuli
  Teutoburger...0127 B574546-9
  Ag Ni C:0
  902 Im K2 V
  Waskuei
  0128 A130334-C
  Lo Ni Po De
  323 Im G1 V M9 D M6 D
  St. David's...0227 B510435-7
  Lo Ni
  602 Im K0 IV M2 V M3 D
  MIKIK
  0228 X450998-6
  Hi Po In
  R
  402 Im G9 IV
  Thessalia
  0229 A415244-D
  Lo Ni
  903 Im M8 V
  Teikoku
  0325 A8C7475-B
  Lo De
  504 Na M4 V M8 D
  Hipper
  0327 D656771-5
  Ag Ni
  120 Im M8 V
  Bonotsu
  0328 A8B0433-B
  Lo De Ni
  502 Na K8 V M8 V
  Akec Tedidim
  0329 E475231-6
  Lo Ni
  903 Im M0 V
  Marhaban
  0426 A4697DG-E
  Cp Sw
  801 Im K8 IV
  (T4 has moved Marhaban (Newt homeworld) to the Old Expanses)
  re-named as Ikoma
  Dimashq
  0627 E230521-5
  Ni Po De
  701 Im M6 V M2 D
  Nihon Station 0630 C899654-8
  S Ni
  203 Im M6 V M8 D
  Osumi Shoto
  0728 C221353-7
  Lo Na Po
  130 Im K5 V M9 D
  Resurrection
  0729 D300244-7
  S Lo Na Va
  402 Im M0 V
  (re-name as Kobiyashi to definitely be reassigned)
  
  116 
   
  Li Changhun
  0828 C88A112-9
  Lo Ni Wa
  403 Im M7 V M7 D
  Li Yingkou
  0829 E300300-6
  Lo Ni Va
  700 Im K0 V
  Li Chifeng
  0830 B98A677-A
  Lo Ni Wa
  802 Im M7 V M7 D
  Subsector J - Tsuchida
  Kurayoshi
  1030 C8B07A9-F
  De RsA
  A
  304 Im K7 V
  Diefenbaker
  1129 A210522-C
  Ni
  404 Im G9 V M7 D
  Arabia
  1130 D648443-5
  S Lo Ni
  310 Im M3 V M3 D
  Tarascon
  1228 B774567-B
  Ag Ni O:1328
  523 Im M5 V
  Sio'mawasi
  1229 C7C0874-6
  S De Sw
  805 Im B5 V M4 D
  Narada
  1230 A757744-7
  Ag
  702 Im M2 II
  Yamaguchi
  1326 B433214-A
  Lo Ni Po
  510 Im M3 V
  Aswan
  1328 A420432-B
  Lo Ni Po De Cp
  803 Im M3 V M3 D
  Listualro
  1329 C443320-6
  Lo Ni Po
  823 Im K1 V M8 D
  Chisholm
  1427 B84A212-8
  Lo Ni Wa
  603 Im G5 V
  Kitayushu
  1429 C501203-7
  Lo Ni Va Ic
  603 Im F9 V
  Goto Retto
  1430 E8A6563-6
  Ni Fl O:1328
  804 Im M7 V
  Cobweb Station1527 A774334-8
  Lo Ni
  914 Im M0 V M0 D
  (renamed Tocityne)
  Dotilla
  1529 B140644-8
  Ni Po De
  905 Im M5 V
  Starsky
  1530 E338686-8
  Ni
  214 Im M4 1a M4 D
  Subsector K - Hebrin
  Muso
  1726 A232023-9
  N De Lo Ni Po
  203 Im K6 V
  MUGAMA
  1728 E8699AA-A
  Hi
  A
  203 Im M0 V
  Makarou
  1729 B596444-A
  Lo Ni
  802 Im K4 V M5 D
  Survivors
  1730 D8A6103-7
  Lo Ni Fl
  813 Im M8 V
  (renamed Ragiimekus)
  Omerta
  1826 E9B066A-6
  De Ni O:1930
  404 Im A3 V K3 D
  Nieuwould
  1830 E585598-2
  Ag Ni
  900 Im K4 V
  Miyazaki
  1923 C6A7242-5
  Lo Ni Fl
  320 Na K4 V
  HEBRIN
  1930 B250975-E
  N Hi Cp
  513 Im M8 V M1 D
  Pynchan
  2030 A257640-8
  Ag Ni
  312 Im M5 V
  Hokkaido
  2128 C610556-8
  Na
  112 Im K8 V
  Tshane Eiseb
  2129 BAA9533-B
  Ni Fl
  800 Im G0 V
  Venda
  2130 C330510-6
  Ni Po De
  113 Im M6 V K6 D
  (to be re-detailed)
  Cometela
  2227 B78A48A-9
  Lo Ni Wa
  514 Im K8 V
  Painted Orb
  2230 C434675-9
  Ni
  404 Im M7 V M8 D
  Chugoku
  2423 X000430-4
  Lo Ni As
  R
  600 Cs G1 V M5 D
  (to be re-detailed)
  Silence
  2428 A225345-C
  Lo Ni
  701 Im M3 II
  Subsector M - Nulinad Subsector, after HIWG,
  Asaklon V
  0132 B400377-8
  Lo Ni Va
  614 Im M4 V M4 D
  El Quahira
  0134 B26138C-B
  Lo Ni
  914 Im M8 V
  Rundeau
  0138 A787777-6
  Ag Ri
  821 Im K0 V
  ZUKHISA
  0139 B556998-A
  Hi
  713 Im M9 V
  Longshot
  0140 D435364-3
  S O:0139
  614 Im M3 V M6 D M5 D
  
  117 
   
  Toyama
  0231 C557550-6
  Ag Ni
  603 Im K3 V M5 D
  Ci Xian
  0232 D664003-4
  Lo Ni
  113 Im G0 IV
  Iternum
  0234 D328578-6
  Ni
  201 Im M7 V
  Iigaashigiri
  0238 B200244-8
  Lo Ni Va
  200 Im K9 V M9 D
  GUDINA
  0334 C53499B-5
  Hi In Sw
  513 Im M7 V
  Carthage
  0337 B654724-7
  Ag
  213 Im M1 V
  NULINAD
  0338 A455986-B
  Hi Cx
  504 Im M0 V
  Kashima
  0339 C96A864-9
  Wa Ri O:0338
  602 Im M7 V
  Ossa Dal
  0340 B344573-8
  Ag Ni
  A
  304 Im M1 V
  Miser
  0435 A213611-A
  Na Ni Ic
  302 Im M6 V
  Nyambii Dal
  0439 C75A462-A
  Lo Ni Wa O:0338
  902 Im F4 IV
  ENINSISH
  0535 C000ABB-9
  As Hi In Na
  113 Im M9 V
  SASHAR
  0536 D59799C-6
  Hi In
  204 Im K5 V
  Huifa
  0537 C120322-8
  De Lo Ni Po
  424 Im M1 V
  Pacifica
  0632 A367788-B
  Ri Ag
  813 Im G2 III M2 V
  Gigdubarga
  0633 B5688BB-4
  134 Im K8 V M5 D M4 D
  Blackglobe
  0636 D7C0353-8
  Lo De Ni
  122 Im M3 V M3 D
  RASU
  0637 C760997-6
  De Hi
  304 Im M0 V
  Cleon
  0638 A98879B-A
  Ag Ri
  A
  305 Im K0 V M1 D
  Shiikuus
  0640 D539849-6
  813 Im M7 V
  Ayachuco
  0732 C890515-8
  S De Ni
  914 Im M8 V
  Simon's Ball
  0738 C66468A-5
  S Ni Ag Ri
  913 Im F4 V
  ARAKAAD
  0833 E4659BC-7
  Hi
  502 Im M7 V
  Province
  0834 B6157B7-9
  N Ic
  A
  104 Im K5 V
  Isii Shiikuus 0836 D512367-A
  Lo Ni Ic O:0638
  613 Im M4 V
  Tungokl
  0837 A253432-9
  Lo Ni Po
  404 Im G0 V
  Chubu
  0839 C7A0646-8
  De Ni
  405 Im G3 V
  Kyogasaki
  0840 C775467-3
  S Lo Ni O:Ley 1002
  303 Im M5 V
  Subsector N - Tairtsu Subsector
  Li Yichang
  0931 A889435-A
  N Lo Ni
  103 Im M3 V M9 D
  Sarbaz's Tomb 0932 C773000-0
  Ba
  011 Im K1 V M2 D
  Delta Three
  0936 D401598-8
  S Ic Ni Va
  R
  311 Im M5 V M8 D
  Bakimidiim
  0940 E4537A9-5
  Po C:1
  A
  330 Im K1 V
  Kushiro
  1031 C86A578-9
  S Ni Wa
  604 Im K3 V
  Sao Sapele
  1035 AAC0458-B
  Lo De Ni RsB
  R
  413 Im M7 V
  Ming Po Toi
  1036 C462226-7
  Lo Ni
  224 Im M6 V M6 D
  Urpirur
  1037 B7B0349-7
  De Lo Ni
  400 Im M4 V M4 V
  Emblem
  1038 CAA0441-8
  Lo De Ni
  114 Im M6 V M5 D
  Micomicon
  1039 E645442-5
  Lo Ni
  704 Im M0 V
  Old Shire
  1040 C140201-6
  De Lo Ni Po
  900 Im M0 V
  Davenport
  1133 A868878-A
  Ri
  A
  520 Im M3 V M6 D
  Fair Haven
  1137 C459756-6
  Ni
  602 Im M9 III
  Oboda
  1139 A6A5655-9
  Fl Ni
  401 Im A3 V
  LAZISAR
  1233 B887974-9
  N Hi Cp
  512 Im M4 III
  Asia
  1235 A337441-A
  Lo Ni
  A
  204 Im K6 V
  Decius
  1236 C774000-0
  Ba
  000 Im K5 V
  Gusshi E
  1237 C1136BG-8
  Na Ni Ic
  A
  604 Im M3 V M8 D K1 D
  Nahur
  1238 C86778B-7
  Ag Ri
  913 Im M8 V M6 D
  Higashiosaka
  1239 B140113-7
  Lo Ni De Po
  402 Im G8 V M7 D
  Tuscany
  1331 A9C0364-A
  De Lo Ni O:1228
  403 Im K6 V M4 D
  Capercaillie
  1332 D413754-7
  Na Ic
  A
  624 Im G8 V
  Delmar
  1337 C140310-8
  Lo Ni De Po
  100 Im K4 V M4 D
  GIMUSHI
  1431 D54AAA9-8
  Hi In Wa
  124 Im K8 V
  O'Donnell
  1436 B500385-6
  Lo Na Ni Va
  615 Im M6 V M6 D
  Fur Elise
  1531 C221032-7
  Lo Ni Po
  604 Im M9 V
  Mu
  1533 B677666-6
  Ag Ni C:5 O:1537
  804 Im M1 V
  PAMUSHGAR
  1537 C680986-6
  De Hi
  202 Im M8 V
  Khal I
  1539 E57468C-5
  Ag Ni C:2
  603 Im M0 V
  Ryukyu
  1540 B7A0478-9
  Lo De Ni
  522 Im M0 V M0 D
  
  118 
   
  Schulz
  1631 B545422-7
  Lo Ni Ex
  A
  312 Im G2 V
  Timark City
  1633 C472564-6
  Ni O:1733
  703 Im G8 V
  Saint Ashley
  1635 B230666-7
  De Na Ni Po
  302 Im K1 V M1 D 
  Subsector O – Irash
  Akrotiri
  1731 B424521-9
  Ni
  404 Im K9 V
  Hateruma
  1733 C24458C-8
  Ag Ni
  A
  603 Im M6 V
  Baleartics
  1734 E412365-7
  Ic Lo Ni O:1733
  415 Im M7 V
  The Hundred
  1737 C644697-2
  Ag Ni
  303 Im M5 V
  renamed as Chalcis
  Newsphere
  1738 A454877-B
  Ri Cp
  A
  405 Im M0 V M0 D
  Pegasus
  1831 E529555-6
  Ni
  905 Im K5 V
  Yonaguni's....1833 D445421-4
  Lo Ni
  803 Im M8 V M8 D
  Senkaku
  1836 B51368B-9
  Na Ni Ic
  A
  901 Im M7 V
  BELUMAR
  1838 E693942-8
  Hi In
  201 Im G2 V
  The Golden....1932 ER00320-B
  Lo Ni Va
  224 Im A7 IV M7 D
  (re-named Neauris)
  Silvermoon
  1934 D420100-4
  De Lo Ni Po
  232 Im M2 V M2 D
  (re-named Ballard)
  Pargo
  1937 D68A664-2
  Ni Wa Ri O:2036
  504 Im G7 II M8 D
  Tsarina
  2032 B000405-C
  N Lo Ni As
  613 Im M3 V
  IRASH
  2036 C579A98-7
  Hi In
  A
  201 Im M8 V
  Poisoned Earth2037 E783335-5
  Lo Ni
  703 Im M2 V
  (re-named Chernobyl and re-assigned)
  Dimitri
  2038 B211101-8
  Lo Ni
  300 Im M3 V M3 D
  Edenvale
  2039 D4697B9-6
  S
  A
  702 Im M2 II M2 D
  Borden's Star 2134 B434421-6
  Lo
  800 Im G9 V
  Amamioshima
  2138 C642486-7
  Lo Po
  115 Im A7 V
  Signet
  2237 A7836BE-7
  Ni
  413 Im K4 V
  Rethmnon
  2331 A234210-A
  Lo Ni RsG
  100 Im M6 V
  Okinoerabu
  2431 C000757-8
  Na As
  722 Im M5 V
  Muskoka
  2434 A200110-B
  Lo Ni Va
  201 Im M4 V
   
  Note: 
  This is the nearest that there is to what might be termed ‘canonical’ information for the 
  region, being the data produced by the History of the Imperium Working Group. It is 1110 
  years out of date, which means that even physical information might be different.  
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/05 - Traveller (GURPS)/GURPS Traveller Eperdish Campaign.pdf