With the release of D20 Traveller, I've relaunched my campaign. I've played in a number of Millues, but decided to run this one in my favorite - Rebellion Era Spinward Marches. Specifically, at the point in time where the news of Strephon's Assassination has just reached the 'Marches. The Vargr are starting to raid across the borders, and the Aslan are massing behind their borders.
As you may be able to tell from some of my IMTU articles, my campaign is structured just a bit differently than 'canon' Traveller. The Imperium is a rougher place, and actually the Rebellion fits my interpretation of the TU better than most I've heard put forth. Worlds are under the dominion of the Empire, not necessarily willing partners. The major races surrounding the Imperium watch it closely - after all the Imperium expanded to fill the area - often displacing the interstellar governments that where previously in place.
"The Imperium is not a particularly welcome government (much like the Terran Imperium in the 'Flandry' series). The CruRons and BatRons drop in on the various worlds for 'liberty' and to remind them who has the biggest stick... (There is nothing quite like the expression of the SysDef admiral watching Tigress BatRon launch it's liberty ships - in the same assault shuttles that would be used to drop the Marines if it came to it... ;) The primary mission of the Navy is to keep the peace, and maintain the Empire. No matter how many people they have to kill to do it."
One of my posts to the |
My focus, in this campaign, will be District 268. An unicorporated region of space, it was applying for Imperial annexation at the time the Rebellion broke out. To provide the logic behind such a move, I increased the aggressiveness of the Sword Worlds a skosh (not that they need much enhancement), as well as that of the Aslan. To provide balance, I've surmised that the District has put into place an Imperial style nobility structure (in preparation for annexation by the Empire), made Collace the subsector capital and given it a Class A starport.
With the basic structure in place to provide the backdrop, I then invited two players from previous campaigns out to try the ruleset. Much to my delight (and, I believe, to Chris' growing horror as the game has played out), one of them managed to not only roll up a noble, but a subsector-level noble. A Count, to be precise.
I believe the player was expecting to play the reigning Count or the very least, his heir, when he 'dropped' the news on me. I had, however, already had the trickling of an idea in the back of my mind (you may notice, by some of the work I've published on this site, that I've put a great deal of thought into the workings of subsector- and sector-level nobility) and countered by making him the second son of the second wife - 4th in line of succession. While he was still adjusting to that, I then explained that he was actually 2nd in line due to the tragic 'accidental' deaths of his two older siblings.
And introduced him to Harold, the heir-apparant.
Who had a task for him.
The
early Games
Elixabeth