This material was compiled by Greg Videll and Mike Mikesh.
INTRODUCTION
Although settled for centuries, the Foreven Sector has had scant attention paid
to it by the major states of the region, the Zhodani Consulate and the Third
Imperium, except when their interests conflict. The Rebellion is changing all
this. The Domain of Deneb finds its attention turning increasingly to spinward;
a fact not lost on the Zhodani. What the future will bring remains to be seen,
but one fact is clear. Foreven will garner greater attention in the years to
come.
Marc Miller has officially set Foreven Sector aside for Traveller players and
referees. All other sectors of charted space will remain the provence of the
official literature. Imperial sectors in particular will ultimately have an
official set of UWPs, and every sector named.
Foreven is the deliberate exception to this. The individual worlds and systems
of the sector have an official location within the Traveller universe but they
will not be named or have a UWP. With only a few exceptions, mentioned below,
this is left up to the referee to devise.
This article is intended to help referees to integrate their personal version
of Foreven into the existing framework of Traveller's charted space.
HISTORY
The enigmatic and far ranging Ancients explored Foreven around -300,000. As
elsewhere, they built many strange and wondrous artifacts, performed seemingly
impossible feats and imported humans for purposes unknown. They then proceeded
to destroy themselves in the Final War, leaving the remains of their bases and
the primitive humans in isolation for millennia.
The Zhodani were the first race to follow the Ancients into Foreven, with the
earliest forays being made sometime around -4500. Initial Zhodani interest in
Foreven was limited but grew as the years passed. Between -2000 and -1000, the
Zhodani Consulate, in its usual way, slowly and carefully expanded into the
sector and came to encompass a little over five subsectors along the coreward
border. The Zhodani didn't stop there though. They continued to send trade and
exploration missions into Foreven and beyond. The Zhodani weren't the only ones
to travel Foreven during this 1000 year period. The Darrians and the Aslan
explored as well, although neither race developed extensive colonies.
In -798, the Zhodani established a permanent outpost on Avalar, then
called Chodlot. This supported exploration leading into the Malikhar
Crescent, also sometimes referred to as The Beyond. A community
formed around the outpost and grew into a state, although without formal
membership in the Consulate. Chodlot became an important jumping off point for
the Zhodani's various pursuits.
It was not until the 500s that Imperial colonists began to settle in Foreven.
Early expeditions were often backed by Imperial megacorporations seeking to
expand their resource and customer base. As they established themselves, they
drew colonists from the Imperial interior, much as was the case in the
Spinward Marches. With the consent of the government of Chodlot, Imperials
established the Avalar Colony in the unoccupied regions of that world. The
colony grew to dominate Chodlot in less than 100 years.
Zhodani ships travelling to and from the Malikhar Crescent regularly traversed
the chain of stars that included Avalar as a major stop. By the early 600s, the
chain also supported a trade route between the Aslan Heirate and the Zhodani
Consulate. The influence of Zhodani culture, despite the influx of Imperials to
the sector, remained strong on worlds along this route and particularly on
Avalar due to its early Zhodani origins.
With the beginnings of the Frontier Wars (589), the Zhodani nurtured even closer
relations with the systems along the Avalar Route. Toward the end of the 700s,
the Consulate encouraged and assisted Avalar in uniting the worlds to form the
Avalar Consulate. The intent was not only to protect the Avalar Route
from commerce raiders but to also restrict Imperial access to the Far
Frontiers sector.
Likewise, the Imperium attempted to draw worlds to its side as a hedge against
the Zhodani through a program of technical and economic aid. The effort resulted
in a number of individual systems becoming Imperial client states although
nothing on the scale, in terms of size, of the Avalar Consulate developed. Both
the Zhodani and the Imperials tended to concentrate the majority of their
efforts on the Marches during the Frontier Wars so they spared Foreven much of
the attendant damage. Conflicts, when they occurred, often involved incidental
naval encounters, tradewar and covert operations rather than full scale military
campaigns.
During the 700s, other interstellar states also formed in these frontier
sectors. Among them were the worlds in Foreven and the Far Frontiers settled by
the Hamadurs. These people were descended from a mixture of Solomani and
Vilani, and came from Shiiki (1236 Gushemege). Their homeworld suffered
much after the collapse of the Rule of Man. The coming of the Third Imperium
brought prosperity for some, and an opportunity to escape for others. Sharing a
common heritage, the Hamadur colonies formed the Mnemosyne Principality
straddling the Foreven/Far Frontiers border.
By the later half of the 1000s, the Principality's ruling family, the Saale,
grew increasingly corrupt for which a popular revolt overthrew them. The family
members were hunted down and killed, leaving the Principality without a ruler
and forcing it to disband.
The interstellar economy collapsed under the chaos until Hautal Goinsprach
fought and won the reigns of government, declaring himself Prince-Regent.
Still, worlds in Foreven preferred to remain independent, having long-standing
historical objections to the Goinsprachs. Control over worlds in the Far
Frontiers remained tenuous as well. Support from the Zhodani Consulate kept
Hautal's hold from decaying, but did little to stabilize the region.
The Fifth Frontier War brought a wave of pro-Imperial sentiment among the
Hamadurs, who took pride in their Imperial roots. As the control held by the
Goinsprachs erroded, factions rallied to the Grunewelds of Foreven, a distant
off-shoot of the former ruling family. In 1110, a brief war replaced the
reigning Prince-Regent with Henrik Gruneweld who took the title of King.
King Henrik, upon assuming power, immediately moved to secure Mnemosyne against
the Zhodani by soliciting aid from then Duke Norris of Regina. Norris could not
offer anything substantial this soon after the Fifth Frontier War. Nonetheless,
the value of the Mnemosyne Principality as a friendly state was not something he
could pass over. In the interim, he sent a company of the 4518th Lift Infantry,
the Duke's Own Huscarles, on a well publicized goodwill tour of the
Principality and other Hamadur worlds.
In 1111, the Foreven worlds rejoined the Mnemosyne Principality, which itself
became a formal client state of the Third Imperium.
THE GOVERNMENTS OF FOREVEN
The Zhodani Consulate
Iakr sector, the name given to Foreven by the Zhodani, is a backwater. The
Zhodani Consulate long ago reached its maximum size; the point at which it
could adequately control the space it occupies. This makes Iakr a true frontier
region as far as the Consulate is concerned. While they have no interest in
expanding their borders, they do continue to send trade and exploration
missions far beyond the Consulate.
The Zhodani, however, have directed their best people and equipment coreward,
in support of the Core Expeditions. As a result, the caliber of those sent to
the rimward border is sometimes questionable. Often times it's the dregs of
Zhodani society who end up in Foreven. Since the Fifth Frontier War, this
also includes those guilty of moral misconduct or those who committed
"atrocities" in wartime. Having been re-educated, they are often assigned
here to finish their careers.
The most significant concentration of Zhodani is in the Avalar Consulate.
The Avalar Consulate
Avalar has remained a client state of the Zhodani Consulate. However, demands
placed upon it during each of the Frontier Wars, since the Third, has fueled a
growing dissatisfaction among the populace with the Zhodani. It was strong
enough that by the Fifth Frontier War the Avalar Supreme Council decided to
limit its participation. This had the effect of limiting discontent within the
Consulate. Anti-Zhodani sentiment, where it exists, is strongest in the coreward
half of the state, which also enjoys the most trade with the Imperium.
Avalar modeled its government after that of the Zhodani Consulate. It also
adopted Zhodani as the official language, although only about 10% of the
population can speak it. Galanglic remains the primary language in use. Only
those who speak Zhodani may hold public office.
The Avalar Consulate is often described as an imperfect mix of Imperial and
Zhodani societies. The Zhodani have long denounced Imperials for their lack of
morality and general criminal bent. Conversely, Imperials accuse the Zhodani of
psionic tyranny. Both flaws are painfully present in Avalar.
Avalarans don't subscribe to the Imperial prejudice against psionics but
readily accept these talents as a part of their society. However, they have no
equivalent of the Tavrchedl', or Thought Police as the Imperials call
them, and have no tolerance for social re-education except for convicted
criminals.
Avalar does have the Shanza though, an elite law enforcement organization set
up to handle psionic related crimes. Individuals with psionics are
proportionally much fewer than in the Consulate, and discouraged except among
the nobility. Still, abuses of psionics happen with enough regularity that
the wearing of psionic shields is not uncommon. Concern exists among the
populace that the Shanza is a tool of the Supreme Council used to suppress
dissident factions. (This is one of the reasons for the general unrest
in the Avalar Consulate).
The Mnemosyne Principality
King Henrik's principality is still relatively new on the interstellar scene and
as such is still establishing itself in spinward/trailing Foreven. In order to
avoid abuses of power, like the ones that brought down his predecessors, the
King must report to a constitutionally empowered Moot of Lords. In effect, they
act as a balance to the King's authoritarian rule. Public confidence in Henrik
remains high and there have been no major disputes between him and the Moot.
Each world of the Principality governs itself. Noble administrators provide
oversight, each of whom is responsible for 3 or 4 systems. Their role is mainly
to serve as an interface to the Mnemosyne government for such matters as trade
and security and to assist in the development of their territory. Competition
between administrators is sometimes keen as each seeks to advance his or her
own interests in their area. The nobility of the state are treated much the
same as nobility within the Imperium, which served as the template for
Mnemosyne's upper social classes.
Duke Norris' limited aid to Mnemosyne in the 1110's lead Henrik to look
elsewhere for "backers" for his realm. He sought and received help from three
Imperial megacorporations, SuSAG, Ling Standard Products and Hortelez et Cie.
The extra-Imperial divisions of each have done a land office business in the
region. Many high level corporate officials hold patents of nobility from
Henrik himself.
Archduke Norris has attempted to maintain good relations with Henrik despite
the problems he has had with Aslan and Vargr incursions. Recently Norris had
elements of his Navy and Scout Service assist the Principality in setting up
the Mnemosyne Star Patrol (MSP). The MSP conducts search and rescue
operations, polices the trade lanes and provides a military force as an
instrument of foreign policy. While relations with the Avalar Consulate and
other Zhodani client states are generally peaceful, Henrik has made it clear
that the Principality will set its own course politically. This goal has also
served to limit the presence of Imperial bases.
Independent Worlds
Numerous worlds of Foreven are independent. While they might hold membership in
an economic cooperative, or hire starmercs for protection, they remain
unincorporated into an interstellar state. Nonetheless, most of these worlds
see themselves as "Imperial" even in instances where their politics may favor
the Zhodani. For the most part, they share their languages, values, and
heritage with those worlds of the Spinward Marches and share a feeling of
kinship with them.
THE REBELLION AND FOREVEN
The Domain of Deneb has been cut off from the rest of the Imperium. War, as a
result of the Rebellion, has fragmented the interior of the Third Imperium and
Vargr raiders have severed communications and trade lanes through Corridor. If
Deneb is to survive, Archduke Norris must turn his attention from events to
trailing and focus on what lies to spinward.
In the past, the systems to spinward have followed their own path and maintained
few ties to the Imperium, if any at all. Trade with the Human Client States has
been modest and political interaction has been limited to the context of the
Zhodani threat. Faced with the Rebellion, Norris seeks to change this.
Just as Cleon I did in the early years of the Imperium, Norris is sending his
Scouts beyond the frontier. Their mission is to assist those friendly to the
Domain and develop new friendships.
The effort is strongly supported by the megacorporations. Cut off from their
headquarters and principal markets in the interior, they too have begun to
expand spinward to avoid stagnation and collapse. Working from key worlds in
Foreven, their trade explorers range far beyond Deneb.
Although many welcome the Imperials, others resist their arrival as an
unwelcome intrusion. The most disturbed is the Zhodani Consulate. Having fought
for centuries to check Imperial expansionism, the Imperium now threatens to
sweep across its rimward frontier. Unfortunately, the Consulate's resources are
needed elsewhere, so it must rely on its allies, like the Avalar Consulate, and
its intelligence and frontier services to deal with this crisis. The local
provincial governor has recognized the need to bring in more capable people
than those he has presently. His request for personnel is currently under
consideration by higher powers.
Adventures for Foreven |
Foreven sector page |
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