The Spinward Blues
[[Category:Traveller]
Ship's Log INAS-32826 Dunk & Egg 197-1110-1220 RECEIVED ORDERS COMSTARFORSPINSWO RE:PASSENGERS PRIORITY:ROUTINE Transport passengers from Sword Worlds Expeditionary Force Central Base on Sting/Sword Worlds to Imperial Military Processing Center on Lunion/Lunion, for eventual debriefing, evaluation, and/or repatriation of passengers, and final evaluation of ship pending decommissioning. Recommend route (Sword Worlds:Sting-Biter-Iron)/(Lunion:Wardn-Tenalphi-Zaibon-Adabicci-Ianic-Derchon-Lunion). Level 2 security precautions for Sword World expatriates and unevaluated ex-POWs, due to possible compromising by Zhodani mentalists. Routine priority, regular shore leave allowed. Maintain communications and secrets discipline. 198-1110-0500 DEPARTED STING/SWORD WORLDS PROCEEDING TO JUMP LIMIT 200-1110-0330 OUT-JUMP-1 STING/BITER Est. In-Jump 206-1110.
202-1110-0000 CAPTAIN'S ORDER: In honor of the Emperor's Birthday and in recognition of a victorious end to the recent conflict, a day of celebration is declared for all ranks. All ship's officers, and noted guest officers and other ranks (see appended list) are invited to dine with the Captain at 1800. Party rations to be issued to enlisted ranks in off watches, and relaxation of uniform discipline in duty watches.
It is the 202nd Day of the Imperial Year 1110… or as some Solomani call it, the middle of the 57th Century A.D. It also happens to be the Emperor's Birthday. He is 61 years old today, and has been on the throne for 39 years.
The Fifth Frontier War - the latest in a long history of frontier skirmishes between the Third Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate in the Spinward Marches - has just ended. The Sword Worlds, a "pocket empire" between the two space superpowers, was the center of a lot of the fighting this time around. The peace treaty has partitioned the Sword Worlds into Zhodani and Imperial spheres of influence, though the diplomats haven't worked out the final borders yet.
You are all on the Imperial Navy Auxiliary Vessel "Dunk & Egg" - an ancient 500-ton freighter that's been converted and reconverted far too many times over the decades. (This is about the same size as a WWII "Liberty ship", although Liberty ships couldn't fly or go faster than light.) But despite her age, she's spaceworthy, and served well during the recent war humping supplies, ammo, and people around the rear lines. Right now, in addition the usual supplies, she's carrying released Imperial prisoners of war and civilian internees to a processing center on nearby Lunion, as well as a number of Imperial troops bound for other destinations, and maybe one or two Sword Worlder expatriates and asylum-seekers.
There are about 50 to 60 people on board: eight crew, the small security detachment escorting the passengers, twenty or so other Imperial troops, and maybe twenty-five to thirty civilians. The ship's passenger staterooms have been converted into bunk space for the troops, and the civilians have an entire cargo hold to themselves.
POSTING RULES AND GUIDELINES
It's been ages since I ran a PBP, so I don't have any hard and fast rules. The usual stuff, obviously: don't step on other peoples characters much, try to write clearly, like that. Descriptions of what your character is doing go in the IC thread; comments, questions, and devious plans go in the OOC thread.
When dice have to be rolled, I'll be using CT along with the BITS system (available on the web). But for fights, I'll patch in the T4 combat system (with a house rule or two), which I prefer. We'll deal with details when we get there.
You might have noticed by now that I am a verbose poster. I can't help it, I have a wide vocabulary and type at 90 words per minute. (You should see the posts before I edit them down.) But please don't be intimidated. Just because I write like this, doesn't mean you have to! I'm happy if you just use spellcheck.
I think it's a good idea to start your post, or title it, with your character's name and location. Put OOC stuff in a different color, or italics, down at the bottom of the post.
I've liked Traveller for a long time, but I'm not really a Traveller grognard, so I'm not too worried about the canon. Go ahead and make up details, invent names and gadgets and what not. I like improvising off of player ideas.
If you care about research, you can find most of the old Traveller Library Data and maps online. Two sites I'm using right now are http://www.seemann.ms/library/ for Library Data and http://www.travellermap.com/ for a map.
I usually read RPG.net every day; I'll try to update every two or three days. My intention is that every major post I make should end on a cliffhanger or choice, so that things keep moving. I don't want anyone feeling rushed! I just don't want us to lose momentum and stall out.
I think we should also use a lot of fast-forwarding. Traveller is a game where even the shortest interstellar trip takes a week to ten days; we don't want to play out every single day, do we?
If anyone has any other suggestions, throw them at me.
Links
In Character Thread Out of Character Thread Recruiting Thread
Player Characters
- Albert as Able Spacer Jeffrey Harkness, IN, TAS.
- RobertEdwards as Scout Sunrise Dawson.
- Xaos as Scout Bram Olili.
- Dropkicker as Scout Vargas Delaney.
- Big-Claw as Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Highway, IMC.
- Tom McCambley as Lord Grand Admiral Sir Doctor Ishugi Gevin Lightfoot, IN (ret.), Count of Tobia, Knight Commander of the Grand Navy, Knight of the Iridium Throne, M.D., TAS, etc., etc.
