Ardeni Information Service: 542-001 Happy New Year!

Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  542-001

To celebrate the new year, we offer this quick recap of the top stories of the past eight weeks:


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-354

Ardeni forces swept into the Borderlands last week, capturing almost a hundred Uruki.  Many of the prisoners have expressed interest in swearing allegiance to the Ardeni Kingdoms.  It appears Uruki resolve to wage this war may be weakening.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-347

Tralnor (2128 B87655C-4) is an agricultural world ruled by a body that calls itself the Council of Seven.  Our survey team spent much of their time on Tralnor attempting to set up trade agreements, and were very successful in selling farm equipment better than Tralnor can produce on its own.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-340

Ardeni forces armed with the new auto rifles designed at Leventis Labs in Star City scored a series of decisive victories over Uruki forces, driving them back to the Borderlands from their recent foray to the Valley of Arden.  Theodora of clan Vlahos, leader of the Ardeni forces, said, "The rifles made all the difference.  Leventis Labs gave us this victory!"  She was unavailable for further comment.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-333

Recent work at the labs in Star City has been approved for production, and sent on to the factories of Alpha City.  Expect to see new consumer goods in the very near future, including televideo, a form of communication that includes video as well as audio, and is expected to replace the telephone as fast as communications lines can be extended from the major cities.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-326

Uruki forces have pushed forward into the Grey Hills almost to the Valley of Arden.  Non-combatants are reminded to avoid all contact, and to ensure no Plan Alpha technologies are left behind for capture by the Uruki.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-319

Mitsuko (1927 D3356B9-C) is a technologically advanced world which voluntarily gave up it's space industry more than a thousand years ago.  It is ruled by a hereditary dictator, The Leader, whose ancestors struck the bargain which prevented a planet buster from being dropped on it by giving up access to space.  Our survey team was never allowed out of the spaceport, and met only with The Leader, along with several guards.  In spite of his apparent paranoia about the team, they conducted a successful trade mission:  in return for a cargo of Ardeni spices, the team brought back high-tech weaponry and agreed to transport a group of violent criminals off-planet.  The criminals turned out to be political prisoners and since their arrival on Arden have assisted with Plan Alpha, providing valuable insight at several labs attempting to reproduce ancient technologies.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-312

Cevdoo (2026 D230xxx-3) is a small world with a very thin atmosphere and no free standing water.  The inhabitants, while human, are highly adapted to their harsh environment, with extremely large rib cages by our standards, capable of gathering and processing enough air to keep them alive without the compressors we would need to live there.  Our survey team found most of the world to be covered by what could be considered a single city.  The locals were eager to trade their metals for food and alcohol and seemed eager for more contact.  Little is known of their culture, except that they practice slavery.


Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-305

In the continuing war effort, High King Ossian has forbidden the use of air or spacecraft against the Uruki forces, saying, "We will fight honorably, as they do."

Ardeni Information Service: 541-298

Star City/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-298

Gruvek (2126 E978xxx-D) is a balkanized high tech world that has apparently lost all space-faring capability in the course of an ongoing war.  A survey team sent to Gruvek reported large dead-zones based on night-side evidence from the orbital survey.  Closer flights showed a wide range of architectural styles spread across the planet, ranging from rough-hewn wooden forts to stone castles to skyscrapers.  Attempts to land at a starport were met with anti-aircraft laser fire, forcing the survey team to flee.  Further survey work will be conducted only after diplomatic relations have been established.  Gruvek is the first world designated as a red travel zone by High King Ossian.

In other news, the AIS offers it's sincerest apologies to High King Baloq of the Kingdom of Abequa.  In last week's article he was mistakenly referred to as King Baloq.  Per treaty, the ruler of a planet is referred to as "High King" without regard to the number of kingdoms found on the planet.

Ardeni Information Service: 541-291

Kingdom of Abequa/Abequa/Kapu (2226 D577332-6) Date:  541-291

The newly founded Kingdom of Abequa (full name:  The Democratic Kingdom of Free Abequa) is ruled by King Baloq and his queen, our own Lady Delphi of Stamatelos.  The majority of the population lives on an island 20 kilometers off the coast of the one continent on Abequa.  

Abequa was a high tech world with a class A starport, but one of the last bombs dropped on the planet during the Secession War destroyed the starport and rendered it and the surrounding city radioactive.  The survivors fled the continent, managing to retain both their democratic tradition, and a basic level of technology.   Over the centuries, they've slowly rebuilt their technological base,  which they supplemented by scavenging the continent for high tech leftovers.  

The past century has seen a marked decline in the Abequan population, in large part due to a very low birth rate.  Scavenging trips on the continent, with it's residual radiation, are the most probable cause of the low birth rate.  King Baloq has recommended that his people follow his lead, and marry people from Arden in order to revitalize their population.  

Ardeni Information Service: 541-284

Northwest Kingdom/Arden/Kapu (2227 EA766C2-5) Date:  541-284

Delphi (of Stamatelos) and Baloq of Abequa were married yesterday, in a ceremony attended not just by her Clanchief, Artemis (the Maragos) but by all the Clanchiefs of the Northwest Kingom, High King Ossian, and the Kings of the other Ardeni Kingdoms.  The couple departed this morning for Abequa, where they will reside.  They were accompanied by several members of Family Stamatelos.  Unconfirmed reports indicate they were also accompanied by an Ambassador chosen by Ossian from the Southern Kingdom. 

As you may have noticed, we've undergone a name change.  With the implementation of Plan Alpha, and the need to ensure all Ardeni are knowledgeable about the changes taking place in society, the Ardeni News Service has been renamed the Ardeni Information Service.  In addition to providing your news, we hope to be your first choice for all information about the Ardeni Kingdoms!

Ardeni News Service: 541-276

Arden/Kapu (2226 D577332-6)  Date: 541-276

Clanchief Artemis (the Maragos) of the Northwest Kingdom today formally announced the betrothal of her Clan-daughter Delphi (of Stamatelos) to Baloq of Abequa, with the wedding to take place one week hence.

In related news, High King Ossian (the Denby of the Northwest Kingdom) announced that negotiations with Abequa had concluded with the signing of a formal treaty granting Abequa status as a Kingdom of Arden, with full rights and responsibilities thereto.

With the signing of this treaty, our map now looks like this:

Actual Play - 7th Game - 26 Aug 12

Our cast this week included Tiernan, Gildas, Zaccheus, Lykaios, and Cinnia (via Skype!).

The party had spent the last three weeks hanging out near the starport on Arden, trying to decide what to do next.  In the end they decided to follow-up on their "Colonize Libmon" idea.  They flew to Libmon, and used the launch to locate and land at the ruins of a low grade starport.  Looking around, they noticed a small castle about 2 km from the landing zone, and decided to take some sample trade goods (fruit and liquor) and walk to it.  As they approached, they found themselves stumbling through low, vegetation-choked ruins... foundations mostly, and none higher than knee-height.  Near the castle, they realized they were being watched from a second story window, but the person ducked out of site before the party could get a good look.  At the castle, their knocks were ignored, and they ended up smashing through two large wooden doors to gain entry.  They encountered armed guards but could not understand the language, and after a long frustrating interaction, left a box of fruit and retreated to the launch.

Giving up on Libmon, they jumped to the Peassi system, where they were excited to find an excellent quality starport.  Remembering their problems at Gruvek, they wisely hailed the planet and requested permission to land.  They were rebuffed at first, being told "We've kept our end of the bargain, why have you returned?"  After landing, their only interaction was with The Leader, who explained his ancestors had been given a choice between a planet buster bomb or the destruction of their space launch capability.  They chose the latter, and had ruled the planet for centuries.  He willingly sold them a shipment of body pistols.  In return, they paid with several tons of spice, and agreed to take some violent criminals off-planet for him.  He explained he was a humane sort, and didn't necessarily want them harmed, but they were criminals who had to go.  The party agreed to the deal, mainly because they wanted the cargo of body pistols.  As the cargo was loaed, 9 prisoners were put into the ship's low berths, and 22 more were placed in locked staterooms, bound and gagged.  As they prepared to leave, The Leader said, "Oh, one more thing, we haven't used the name Peassi in 1200 years... this system is called Mitsuko"

In jump space on the way back to Libmon, they freed one of the prisoners to discuss Libmon.  He asked if they might all be freed, and allowed to meet and discuss their situation. They realized fairly quickly the prisoners were not violent criminals, but rather political prisoners The Leader wanted to be rid of.   The party accepted his promise not to attempt anything, and left the prisoners to talk.  The prisoners asked what was going to happen to them and the party described Libmon and asked if they wanted to found a colony.  Instead, the prisoners proposed they go to Arden and teach, since it was clear Arden was less technologically advanced than Mitsuki.  The party agreed this seemed a good idea.

After refueling in the Libmon system, the party jumped to Tralnor, refueled and jumped home to Arden.  While refueling at the gas giant before landing on Arden, they explained situation with the prisoners to King Ossian.  Upon landing, medics came aboard to wake the low berth prisoners, and in spite of their best efforts, one of the nine died.  The prisoners were then split up and taken away, and play ended.

Game Calendar:  541-218 to 541-269

Here's the player's current map of Kapu Subsector (generated at www.travellermap.com, a great site for Traveller mapping!):

The Ardeni Kingdoms currently control Arden, and the green jump route (hard to see in the jumble) shows that a permanent trade route has been established between Arden and Abequa.  Gruvek has been designated a Red Zone, and Peassi renamed Mitsuko.  Most systems' names begin with "x." meaning anything they know about those systems is centuries out of date.

Actual Play - 6th Game - 4 Aug 12

Our cast for this game included Lairgnen, Tiernan, Gildas, Cinnia, Delphi and Zaccheus.

The characters waited 8 days for their clans to provide trade goods and load the starship.  Their first trip took them to Abequa-36, where they spent a day surveying the system and refueling at the gas giant.  Reaching the main planet, they left their ship in orbit and used the ship's launch to land with a small sample of their trade goods, a pattern they followed on subsequent trips.  Their first encounter was with a local merchant named Baloq, who immediately offered to buy their goods and sell them others.  He offered to act as broker for them, and because they had no common currency, he told them he could act as their accountant as well.  They remained for a week before heading back to Arden.  Baloq requested passage, in order to conduct trade negotiations with the Ardeni.

After dropping Baloq at Arden, they decided to make a long voyage, visiting the Tralnor, Libmon, Cevdoo, and Gruvek systems before hitting Abequa-36 again, and completing the circuit back at Arden.  They were successful trading at Tralnor, and promised other Ardeni merchant ships would soon be there to establish trade relations.  At Libmon, they spotted no evidence of civilization, but while exploring with the launch, they located several bands of stone age primitives.  They decided this would be an easy world to colonize, but didn't bother contacting any of the locals before heading on.  At Cevdoo they were also successful, and again promised other merchants would be there soon.

At Gruvek, they found a world at war.  Low tech nations filled with ancient stone ruins butted up against high tech nations with skyscrapers.  The night side of the planet was mostly lit, but huge dark patches provided evidence of the devestation of war.  While surveying the planet, one of the high tech areas fired on their launch with ground-based laser defenses, and they decided to leave the Gruvek system for another time.  

Upon their return to Abequa-36, they found the second Ardeni merchant vessel offloading goods, and met again with Baloq.  Finally back at Arden, they discussed briefly a trip to begin colonizing Libmon before ending play for the day.

(Game Calendar:  541-121 to 541-196)