The Crab Claw Cluster - Summary of Systems

As I have been playing a game of Classic Traveller solo, the adventure has been heating up! In advance of my first (lengthy) post on this, I am preparing a few bits of background around the “Coalition Of Systems” setting that I have devised. In the coming days/weeks, I'll go into more detail, but here is summary of the subsector I've started with. In most cases, this is as much as I know about the worlds, but more is becoming clear with each play session.

S, N, or GG after the UPP indicates presence of scout bases, naval bases, and gas giants respectively. I haven't included the trade categories in this, as my setting doesn't stick to them as religiously as it perhaps should. Apologies, Traveller purists!

So, on with the planets!

Crab Claw Cluster Subsector Map

The Crab Claw Cluster

0107 – Narthan – A – 8B741A – TL A

Corporate-owned orbital shipyard. All inhabitants are employees who live in orbit. Surface is lethal, but mined for chemicals & minerals used in the manufacturing process.

0108 – Kaitos – B – 666625 – TL A – N GG

Old established colony. Thoroughly modern, with much industry. Home to many employees at the Narthan shipyards for time off-rotation, and main supply for their needs – multiple transports a week to the shipyard.

0110 – Beruna – B – 410313 – TL A – N S GG

Corporate-owned starport. This dry, frozen, near airless world was founded as nothing but a refuelling site for an old trade network. It has attracted a small naval and scout base due to it's good location, although the worldlet is practically barren.

0203 – Laspra – C – 655547 – TL 7 – S GG

Frontier, agrarian world. No real interplanetary economy, main exports are food crops and indigenous animal meats.

0204 – Eden 3 – D – 477250 – TL 7 – GG

Eden 3 started as a test in terraforming technologies. The main machinery broke down many years ago, leaving the remaining scientists to try and keep the biosphere stable during repairs, and overseeing the introduction of new fauna to the planet.

0206 – Makuyu – E – 8A7302 – TL 4

Frontier planet, and religious commune. The inhabitants live in sealed caves on the surface. It is believed a component of the atmosphere plays a part in their religious ceremonies. Not much is known as they do not take kindly to outsiders.

0208 – Ambia – E – 9CA222 – TL 8 – GG

A mysterious planet, Ambia is a corrosive waterworld – however, it's profile doesn't fit conventional theories of planet formation. There is a small orbital research station looking to find the cause of the planet's condition.

0303 – Pallavia – C – 745488 – TL 7 – GG

A basic agrarian colony, based around a single city. Just reaching reliable industrialisation. Practically a communist state, with all work proscribed by the Pallavian Works Bureau, and all luxuries publicly owned.

0304 – Thoshh – C – 556414 – TL 5 – GG

Corporate-owned world. Thoshh is rich in minerals, and has a well established mining & refinery industry. Othewise unremarkable.

0305 – Oya – A – 685752 – TL 13 – N GG

Feudalistic world, under the charge of Duke Oya. Generally a liberal world, known as a trade centre and for it's highly ranked university. A large naval base is present, co-ordinating the local fleet. Oya is the capital world of the subsector.

0306 – Hestia – B – 5751155 – TL 9 – S GG - RESTRICTED

Former colony world, Hestia was infected with a virulent plague from a meteorite, decimating the population & atmosphere. Population is only an estimate, as the entire system has been quarantined for the past 50 years.

0308 – Zeconis – C – 544596 – TL 7 – S GG

Agricultural world, of little note beyond the volcanoes & geysers tainting the atmosphere and enriching the soil.

0310 – Xian – C – 62A79A – TL 7

Waterworld, governed by Taoists & Buddhists. Peaceful, they settled this world because of the beautiful sea life. All live on boats, rafts & floating cities. Local legend believes some of the sea life is sentient.

0402 – Dennett – C – 485546 – TL6 – GG

Unremarkable, democratic colony world. Due to the low gravity and thick atmosphere, most travel between towns and cities is done by air – many indigenous species are flyers.

0403 – Eleck – A – ACA232 – TL 13 – N GG - RESTRICTED

Eleck is home to a hive-like fungal organism, which has displayed psionic abilities when densely grouped. Quarantined upon discovery, and now strictly a naval research site civilians are not permitted. Rumours that the fungus has spread from it's inhospitable home world are yet to be verified...

0404 – Depac – B – 637797 – TL 12

Successful colony world. The populous live in domed, sealed structures due to the thin atmosphere. These domed villages, cities and connecting tunnels span the land like a spiderweb.

0407 – Paltan – D – 979453 – TL 4 – S GG

Struggling frontier world. Food won't grow easily due to the tainted atmosphere, so it is mostly imported at high cost. Most issues are blamed on the Baron, who reuses to relinquish any power to the Coalition Of Systems – the scout base was installed as a compromise to allow the planets independence.

0503 – Lokono – C – 44356A – TL 11 – S GG

Lokono houses the headquarters of the subsectors scout service, bringing with it technology and the financial support of Oya. Lokono is known for it's vast forests, composed of 5m tall mushrooms. Feared to have a common bio-genesis to Eleck, this planetary system is watched closely (hence the large scout base). No sign of the psychic hive-fungus has been found. Yet.

0505 – Hron – A – 553632 – TL12

Corporate HQ world, home to the head offices of many businesses and their controlling boards. Companies get seats in the senate based on stock market valuations, creating a defacto oligarchy. This world has a strong private navy & security force, and the Coalition Navy leaves the system to it's own devices – due in no small part to Navy Admirals holding chair positions with many of the businesses.

0506 – Taranaki – C – 130794 – TL 6 – GG

Failed industrial world, originally a mining colony. All inhabitants live underground in a vast interconnected tunnel system. Oxygen factories keep these tunnel-slums “habitable”.

0601 – Faltet – D – 3336411 – TL 5 – S GG

Company-owned agrarian world. The planet has a single continent, covered in farms. Rich soil, and large beasts-of-burden called Torfuses that can pull massive farm equipment made it a perfect planet for crop farming. On the edge of colonised space, the local scout base is primarily manned by explorers and stellar cartographers.

0602 – Sarabande – E – 446386 – TL 7 – GG

Based on a moon of a gas giant, Sarabande is a dirt-poor mining world, trading it's minerals for imported foodstuffs. A union-run world, local government functions as a practical communist state.

0606 – Gehenna – C – 8A5470 – TL 9 – S GG

Ignored for centuries, a recent science survey found a breed of indigenous beetles secrete a potent nerve toxin. With it's possible use as a weapon, corporate security outfits and mercenaries wage near constant guerrilla warfare across the world, as many different groups try and set up weapons labs. The majority of the land is covered in a dangerous jungle, whose “trees” give it's atmosphere it's interesting make-up. The scout base is just a front for the Navy Intelligence Service, who keep a keen eye on possible weaponization.

0609 – Lonam – A – 5898AA – TL 12 – N GG

Lonam is ruled by the self-styled “Eternal Majesty”. The world has a small landmass, essentially a playground for the rich and famous, whilst others visit the underwater medical centres. Some element in the ocean has been harnessed to give incredible rejuvenation – but at a steep price. Hence the financial success of this world, it's rich clientele, and it's nickname, “The Orb of Eternal Youth”

0702 – Valtz – E – 427100 – TL 5 – GG

Failed colony world – the atmosphere proved useless for crops, and the mineral content is deemed “unprofitable” for mining. As such, the colonies were abandoned years ago, although many structures and whole towns still stand. The world has been linked with several possible incidents of piracy.

0703 – Revis – B – 200357 – TL 14 – GG

Based on a small moon of the local gas giant, Revis is an automated refinery. Drone ships go into the asteroid belt, shunt an asteroid into orbit of the moon, where swarms of orbital robot extract all useful minerals and elements. The asteroid husks are then deorbited into the gas giant, whilst other robots are constantly skimming for fuel. The population is a skeleton crew of technicians keeping the facility running.

0706 – Cordia – X -44540 – TL 5 – GG – RESTRICTED

Prison world for serious crimes. Inmates are sent down in drop pods, which double as survival shelters. Each drop pod contains a weeks worth of rations, along with basic survival equipment and tools. There is no government presence on the surface whatsoever, however the CoS Navy keep a ship in orbit at all times. Nobody who has ever been dropped has ever left the planet.

0802 – Islet – D – 5678BA – TL 2 – GG

Islet is a lush world with ripe farmland and atmosphere, but ruled by a despot. There is little industry to speak of and his subjects all live in abject poverty. Most ties with the Coalition have been severed.

0806 – K'klyh – B – 215249 – TL 13 – GG

The dwarf planet of K'klyh is an old alien outpost of unknown origin. Long departed, many ruins have been left on this world that is orbiting a dying sun. The small population are researchers studying the xeno artifact, and the star that is heading towards nova.

0808 – Coded XC1 – ? – 545??? – TL ? – RESTRICTED

This system is under alien control, and much is unknown. A basic survey has been performed, but the scout service vessel was attacked in the system, by an alien vessel. The Navy is currently trying to open communications, but progress is slow. Travel to this system is not recommended at this time.

0809 – Coded XC2 – ? – 874??? – TL ? – RESTRICTED

Sister planet to XC1, under exactly the same circumstances. It is assumed to be under control of the same race, due to proximity & similarities in ship design. There is still much to learn of both systems, and the race(s?) that inhabits them.

So that is where Triff Dyloss, ex-scout, has found himself upon retirement. There should be another post up soon detailing the main differences between my "Coalition Of Systems" setting, and the OTU.

Any comments and questions welcomed on my subsector!