			    TRAVELLER Digest 481

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Sector Names by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
  2) Red Zones by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  3) "Solomani & Aslan" tidbit's by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  4) Letter from the RICE Trustees by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
  5) #AWP-00301: Efate by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  6) Immortals... by "James M. Kelleher" <kelleher@holonet.net>
  7) Airframes and Contra-grav by Wesley.Esser@hd62.haledorr.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 11 Nov 95 17:54:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
To: Traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Sector Names
Message-ID: <8B4C432.010006079D.uuout@execnet.com>


  I was going through my collection of Traveller material, and
  found a message that was posted to rec.games.rpg back in 1992-06.
  It claimed to be material from Sunbane and the TML (from before
  the split, when it was housed at engrg.uwo.ca).  It was a grid of
  Charted Space sectors, with a list of names of those sectors.
  Since receiving this stuff originally, I've chickenscratched all
  over it, and have a fairly complete set of sector names, in some
  cases in two or three languages.

  If people are interested, I'd be willing to post this data to the
  list.

==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
  OLXWin 1.00a  If this is tourist season, why can't I shoot any?

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 11:37:48 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Red Zones
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951112113444.3147F-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Glenn Goffin noted that Red Zones can indeed be on worlds with starports, 
as they can be A) erected for temporary emergencies B) there's no legal 
reason banning starports on banned worlds.

I believe my mixup began due to the world generation sequence for T:TNE 
where Red Zoned worlds are to have their starports listed "X". (I may be 
mistaken even here: I'll go look it up when I get home).

Thanks for the responses!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 13:01:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: "Solomani & Aslan" tidbit's
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951112114458.3147H-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Just recently got my Cats & Rats from Egor (ad posted previously).  Some 
tidbit's and questions from the book:

A: Jupiter is considered a *small* Gas Giant! (size 90, to be exact)
B: The Perseus Project - an exploration of the Perseus Arm of the galaxy 
   - sent 17 'base ships' out to 3,000 parsecs from the Confederation.  
   Three of those ships are overdue, and have not returned by the onset of 
   Virus. Where are they?  Is there some other cluster of jump-capable 
   civilizations besides our own Charted Space?  Or did they decide to 
   strike out on their own, and go independent?  If so, will we ever see 
   them - or their decendant's - again?
C: Santaterra was a precollapse philosophy found throughout the Solomani 
   Confederation which was pro-agarian, anti-geneering, and anti-A.I.: they 
   also prefer low tech level worlds.  These folk should gove the RC quite a 
   challange, once they're found...  [Similar to the imperial Society of the 
   Sovereginty of Man over Machine (SSMM?)]
D: The 'flavour' of a New Era campagin in Solomani space would be quite 
   interesting.  The system's would be more isolationistic, and have fewer 
   mutual 'foundations', as the Confederation were never very united in 
   the first place.  I'd postuate that there would be fewer TED's (a cousion 
   of the famous Feudal Technocracy, a very Third Imperium form of 
   government), and more old-fashioned dictatorships (mystical and secular) 
   as well as democracies and tribal governments.
E: I'd thing it would be easier to form a pocket empire in 
   ex-Confederation space, since the framework s already there (and they 
   wern't 'softened up' for Virus by civil war).  It would be much harder 
   for any pocket empire to expand beyond it's pre-Collapse boundaries, 
   though: the neighbours are often of a completely different culture, 
   language, etc.
F: The Solomani have never been particularly good in grav vechile design, 
   but are excellent starship builders.  This may provide an edge: coupled 
   with the fact that the Solomani are used to operating without a massive 
   hierarchy (noble or otherwise) telling them what to do, and thing's start 
   looking up (now, if only they don't start blasting away as soon as they 
   discover other starfarers)
G: It's extermely unlikely that the Solomani will ever consider making a 
   deal with Virus, thanks to their rather racist nature. 
H: It's most likely that any pocket empire in the Solomani Sphere 
   will welcome the anti-Imperial, largely Solomani RC with open arms.  
   The RC will definitely resemble the Confederation more than the 
   Imperium, if they expand rimward. (And in more ways than one, if the 
   Flammer's get their way...)

-----*****-----*****-----

Now, it's the Aslan's turn:

A: The territory of the Aslan New Lords facing the Regency is a lot 
smaller than I thought: it's basically just Trojan Reach, along with a 
few scattered holdings in the Riftspan Reaches, Touchstone, and Iphigenaia.

Diagram:

    Tienspevnekr | Ziafrplians | Gvurrdon | Tulikki | Provence
    Far Frontiers| Foreven     | Marches  | Deneb   | Corridor
    Vanguard R.  | The Beyond  | Trojan R | Reft Sec| Gushemege
    Iphigenaia   | Touchstone  | RiftspanR| Verge   | Ilelish
      
Couple this with the fact that the Tech and population levels of the area 
is a good deal thinner than in the Regency.  Also link this with Zho 
weakness, and the current Regency tendency to eat small nations, and 
you've got the makings of a "short, victorous war" here.  And the rewards 
of a semi-peaceful, semi-military expansion are a good bit higher than 
the same expansion in the Wilds. 

(Any expansion would, of course, not be against all Aslan: Standard 
Imperial Procedure would be allying with the weaker Aslan clans against 
the stronger ones, and insuring that the weaker clans swear feality to 
the Regent/Emperor. Moreover, any fighting would closely follow Aslan 
tradition: it's important to insure that the enemy recognizes that he's 
defeated, not just "temporarily - and unjustly - beaten by those 
honourless barbarians.")

For *real* Imperials, expansion is its own justification (hey, it worked 
for the Romans!).  For those of us who need some way to hide raw 
Imperialistic aggression, justifications range from "we need to be sure 
that those land-hungry Aslan NEVER jump us again" to "Aslan contact with 
their collapsed brothers are acting as a vector for Virus" (maybe fact, 
maybe lies) to "we are both stronger if we're united than if we remain 
seperated, and the New Era requires a united stand between equals" (this 
is my favourate possibility: it would cut down on the fighting and pump 
up the mixing of cultures, which is my real aim).

And all this talk about expanding Rimward/Spinward, rather than across 
Corridor back to the blasted heart of the beloved Imperium, is easily 
justified in economic dollars and cents: it's a lot easier and more 
profitable to incorporate living and Virus-free Aslan systems into the 
Regency than incorporate dead, xenophobic, anti-Imperial and low-tech 
systems into the Regency.

Justifying it in emotional and spiritual terms is a good deal harder.  
After all, just look at all those frozen corpses with Imperial Sunbursts 
on their collars!  You want their deaths to be meaningless, and abandon 
their children to a life of poverty and misery?  Never mind the fact that 
most of Imperial Core is now definitely anti-Imperial: *We* are the 
Keepers of the Flame, *We* have a DUTY to haul them back to Imperial 
Civilization, kicking and screaming if need be!

Well, maybe.  The Regency is definitely in an expansionistic mood: the 
question is really if they will still want to carry on the work in the 
Imperial Core, once they realize that most of the population stands 
against them.  If so, then they have chosen the hard, bitter route - and 
the glorious Imperium will live again, worse for wear, but still 
ticking, the very definition of the power of Honour, Love, and Compassion.  

If they turn their back, the Imperium will still live, but as an alien, 
bi-racial culture, on the other side of the Rift.  Perhaps tri-racial, 
depending on how the Zho's make out.

And the children of the Wilds will _never_ forgive the Regency for 
abandoning them.  Never.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 95 00:23:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Letter from the RICE Trustees
Message-ID: <8B4D017.010006089F.uuout@execnet.com>


  1202-314

  To All who have benefited from the RICE Papers:

  Over the past year, the composition of the Board of Trustees has
  changed, and with those changes have come new ideas.  After long
  and difficult debate, and consultations with various individuals
  and groups throughout the Regency, a decision has been made that
  will have a significant (and, in our opinion, positive) impact on
  the scope of published RICE Papers.

  We have long viewed the Regency as the sum of its component parts
  - its member planetary systems - and no more.  However, we now
  realize what we overlooked before - that interstellar
  communication, migration, travel, and government affect culture,
  and are indeed a culture themselves.  More, there are ethnic
  groupings that have carried significant portions of their
  cultures from their homeworlds, and retained them, even after up
  to 1500 years of settlement on worlds far from their original
  homes.  These can no longer truly be considered planetary
  cultures, and they cannot truly be addressed within the context
  of a single RICE Paper focussed on a single planetary system.

  It is for this reason that we have decided to expand the scope of
  the RICE Papers, to allow our researchers and reporter to write
  on any aspect of Imperial culture (to which we of the Regency are
  the heirs) that they feel worthy of note - from topics as simple
  as the traditional Vilani game of \saalir\, ranging up through
  the traditions of the various Imperial Yachting Cup competitions,
  or of shipboard etiquette, all the way up to the complexities
  of the Terran faith of Binay Abrim, or of the interaction between
  Vilani, Sylean, and Vargr social traditions in the coreward areas
  of the Regency.

  To do less would be to break faith with our Charter, which
  charges us with furthering "Cultural Education".  It is our hope
  that you, as we, will find this change to be for the better.

                                        Jeff Zeitlin
                                        Chief Archivist, for

                                        The Board of Trustees
                                        Regency Institute for
                                           Cultural Education
---
  OLXWin 1.00a  For Network Use Only.  Do Not Write Below This Tagline.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 16:41:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: #AWP-00301: Efate
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951112152323.9372B-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


My thanks to David Jaques-Watson for additional information, permitting 
me to add data to the Rice Paper, and more closely comply with previously 
published Traveller information.  At least one addtional Rice Paper is 
being planned by a diferent member of the TML: collect them all!

I've chosen to retain both the 'alien' Efate and their welcoming nature: 
remember, these people are Xenophilic (they don't even fear the Zho's!) 
but also Militant (Ready to fight when you are, Captain!).

Efate (Regina: Spinward Marches/1803)
A646A30-F B    Hi In    110 Re K4 V
g=.7718, day=37:59:06.7; year 41d 10:56:55.1 Imp., 26d 4:38:11.2 Local
atmos=.66, controlled weather                    TNE weather = -1
Temp=-3 (6/lat +15 to -45) (season +17 to -29, 16 deg lat)
daily temp range: +14 noon, -54 midnight
[Life]; Ores, Radioactive, Crystals; Nonmetals; Parts, Consumables; 
Recordings, Software.
Progressive/Indifferent; Competitive/Militant; Harmonoius/Xenoplilic
Legal=0-00000                   Tech= FF-FEFGF-EEEF-FF-4

ARRIVAL

When you leave jump, you're 100 diameter's from the primary star: Efate is 
only 68 local stellar diameters out, so your ship will come out between 
194 and 394 light-second from Efate.

Coming through the RQS rigamore is a good bit easier here then in most 
places: Virus is not nearly the threat that the Zho's can be, in the
eyes of the local Efate.  So long as the traveller doesn't do anything 
blatently stupid, he should be able to arive at the starport in a 
reasonably short time.

[REFEREE: The world name is also used to refer to singluar and plural Efate.]

Looking down on the world as the RQS quickly rifles thru his ship, he's 
likely to mistake the Vistoner plate as the world's sole continent.  
While it sure looks like one, it has actually been shattered into 
something like a jigsaw puzzle. Each island - about 300 to 700 km in 
diameter - is seperated by it's neighbour by a 1-4 km moat, which goes 
down 3-5 kilometers in depth.  How this highly unlikely geographic formation 
is still under some debate: since there's no impact crater, the answer 
must reside in some truly odd plate tectonics.  The world itself seems
geologically dead: there are no mountain chains, and no volcanoes.  The 
bottom of the moats is covered by silt and dirt settling in from above: 
estimates are that the crevaces go down another 2 km below the silt floor.

After barely setting foot on this world, each member of the company will 
be given a holographic Efate guide - an avatar - to help the visitor 
navigate his way through the customs and traditions that govern Efate 
society.  The guide will refuse payment from the visitors: he is usually 
a construct by a local tourist agency, and will encourage the visitors 
to use his agency's facilities.

The harsh chemicals that render the air poisonous to humans stemms from 
the TiiKii plant.  While rarely seen in the cities where humans frequent, 
they dominate the shallow swamplands of Efate's equatoral regions, 
released during the sudden, massive "explosions" of the plant's sexual 
organs.  The Efate - ever gracious to their human visitors - feel 
ashamed by this, but can do nothing: too many species depend on the 
TiiKii's foul gases for their life cycles.  

Humans are not advised to enter the swamplands: if they do, they must be 
very careful where they trod: stepping on a root can trigger off the 
explosion.

THE EFATE RACE

The guide is worth a twice-over (even if he's just a hologram).  The typical 
lithe Efate stands at a little over average height, with a deep bronze 
skin, longish wavy hair in a variety of light colours (white, various 
shades of grey, and pale yellow), and high cheekbones.  They look like a 
minor race - or a bodysculptured noble - but are not actually human at 
all.  

The Efate was contacted by the Imperium soon after arriving in Regina 
subsector.  At the time, they were a highly sedentary race of omnivores; 
weighing in at about 300 kg, they looked something like large, 
occasionally biped, glorified squirrels, with faceted eyes, an ungainly 
gait, and a grating language of squeals and whines.  Primitive they were 
not, though: when the I.S.S. Coilirela touched down here in 182, they had 
already reached TL 4, with some research to TL 6.

The Efate - or the KriiLeeiKariit, as they called themselves at the time 
- welcomed the Imperium gladly, becoming a client state in 211 and 
obtaining formal membership in 243.  A highly industrious people, they 
swiftly reached TL A by 400, and by the First Civil War was at TL D. 

It was at this time when wealthy KriiLeeiKariit started to shape 
themselves and their children as humans.  The prestige of being human, 
and the natural KriiLeeiKariit love and fondness of humaniti, began to 
approach it's ultimate conclusion.  By 880, the "New People" were over 
half the population: by 1000, the KriiLeeiKariit were extinct.  But the 
"New People" - now taking the name of Efate as the name of their new race 
- were still not considered human, as they cannot interbreed, and have 
serious internal difference from humanity, especially at the DNA and 
molecular level.  

They still cannot eat most human food without pills and addatives: the very 
limited range of (highly processed) human food they _can_ digest 
without aides gives them debilitating stomach cramps and occasional 
vomiting "on bad days".  Because of their wholesale and self-inflicted 
genetic problems, they suffer appallingly short lifespans of about 40 
years, dying from a vast variety of heridatory diseases.  And over 60% 
of all Efate are originally born from some artifical method: the 
rebuilding of the KriiLeiiKariit reproductive system to imitate human 
mammalian norms is a great triumph of science, but even today a Efate 
woman going through natural childbirth takes her life in her hands.  Of 
course, Efate genetic science plows ahead to relieve these problems.

EFATE CITIES

Efate cities are very crowded.  The Efate are an extremely gregarious 
race, and they love the hustle and bustle of the urban enviroment.  Their 
cities aren't very tall, but do spread out over thousands of kilometers of 
area.  Clothing tends to imitate the latest Regina fashion, and many of 
the social attitudes are also familiar to native-born Reginans.  
Strangers are enjoyed my most Efate: they are easily forgiven of any minor 
errors, and even if guilty of a grevious crime, will only suffer 
- at worst - expulsion from Efate.

What most stand's out on Efate is the vast number of holographic people - 
called "avatars" - which mix and talk with the real Efate.  Some of these 
people have been sent by their masters to complete some errand, but most 
of the avatars are of dead Efate, who's personality is brought to live by 
AI programs.  

[REFEREE: Pre-Virus, the images are projected by small, mobile robot spheres 
which hover over a spot, and project the image downward.  Now, the 
cameras and AI computer is mounted on trained TrWanak gasbag animals: the AI
has no way to communicate to other computers, and can only direct the 
gasbag by mechanical prodding.  Also, the AI is designed to mechanically 
fail if infected by Virus.]

The Servenai Cults - the premiere Marchman religion, after Imperial 
Catholicism - have many Efate followers, and insists that the souls of 
the dead are only satisified if they're images are permitted to walk the 
land.  The Cults - which originated on Capon/2324 (B747748-A) - resemble 
the Roman mystery cults, with ancient Vilani philosophy thrown in: 
currently, 20% of all Marchmen follow it.

HONOUR

While most Imperial/Regency worlds are known for taking Honour and 
Tradition seriously, Efate is unique in the extent that it reveres these 
concepts.  One of the things that the Efate can't get their heads around 
is human laws: they simply cannot comprehend how they act.  What they 
*do* understand, however, is Personal Honour.  Each individual Efate is 
responsible to make his portion of the universe as fine and noble as 
possible.  And each Efate's life is governed by his own personal Honour 
Code, which is held as sacred.  

Each Efate is expected to uphold the Code individually, rather than 
depend on a government to maintain it.  If an evil occurs, the Efate that 
witnesses it is to correct it: he *cannot* pass on that responsibility to 
someone else. 

The Efate nobility's main purpose is to provide living examples of what 
honour mean, to set an example for the nation and the race.  The local 
nobility has shifted over the centuries from a priesthood to a democracy 
to an oligarchy of noble families, but how they govern - the source of 
their authority - remains the same. 

The Code - basically the obligation to be and live the truth as best as 
ability allows - is the foundation of trust on Efate.  Because it's taken 
so seriously, the system can continue to be the only known high-pop world 
without any formal laws at all.  Of course, every Efate's individual Code 
varies, but all strive towards the same goal, and tend to have many 
similiarities.

One of the more common manifestations of the Code is Paterfamilias: that 
is, the eldest male is assummed to be the lord of his household.  While he 
doesn't officaly have the 'right' to kill anyone in his household that he 
wishes - the Efate only believes in duties and responsibilities, not 
rights - most Efate will not interfere or ostrazise a father who does, 
even in public.

Other common traits of the Honour Code is a willingness to take the law 
in your own hands; a very strong fear of shame before others; love of 
family, home, and empire; and contempt for those who challange the Code. 

THE FIFTH FRONTIER WAR

The honour code - despite it's valued place within Efate culture - has 
often been the source of some of the most intratacable conflicts on 
Efate.  One well-known conflict - between the Keeslia'k and the Keia'ss 
noble houses - has often led to contnous bushfire war's in the bitter 
Polar wastes of Efate.  This conflict eventually grew like topsy: by 
1107, it pitted most of the lesser noble houses against the five High Houses.
Covert Zho support of the smaller houses was quite well-known: the Efate 
never was as phobic towards psionics as Imperials were, and often 
consider the 'truthful' Zhodani as basically more honourable than Imperials.

Between 1000 and 1107, the Imperium/Domain/Regency had to send Marine 
unit's no less than *fifteen* times to restore the peace, with each 
incident worse than the last.  During one of these incident's - the 
famous Razor Wars of 1107 - most of Makitii District was thrown in a 
state of chaos, requiring Imperial Marines to put down the rebellion 
(078-1107).  The Imperials expected a walkover, considering the rather 
poor equipment the lesser noble armies had.  

Boy, were they surprised.  The rebellious nobles didn't have much in the 
way of fancy equipment, but they were well prepared, and - with plenty 
of Zho advise and psionic aid - were able to hit the Marines unexpectedly 
hard throughout the Cackiit Highlands.  While their tactic of using a 
Merc cruiser to deliver a 5MT nuclear warhead to the main body of 
Imperial troops failed (see "A daggar at Efate", JTAS #? "), several 
other subterfuges - including sneaking a large supply of haevy fusion 
rifles - were successful.

The marines were just getting a bead on the rebellion put down when the 
Fifth Frontier War swept thru Regina subsector, placing Efate under 
siege from 214-1107 to the armistice, declared at 099-1110 (The war was 
officaly declared over at 001-1111).  

Ferocious naval clashes ensured betweem the Zho. 1st Assault Fleet - 
tasked to take Efate - and the defending Imperial 193rd Fleet.  However, 
because the Zho's could not secure their supply line through Louzy, the 
1st Assault Fleet couldn't bring their full potential force to bear 
against the 193rd.  The unconqured Imperial outposts at Louzy could also 
supply information to Imperial forces regarding incoming reinforcemetns, 
permiting the 193rd to successfully defend against several offensives.  
>From mid-1109, the Zho's were releasing ships to fight at other fronts, 
but were still strong enough to resist the Imperial attempt to relieve 
Efate during Operation Iedshrpr (launched 029-1109), spearheaded by 
elements of the Corridor Fleet.

The intense fighting was used by the High Houses as the justification 
used to purge the lesser houses from all government positions.  This led 
to even more embittered fighting, and eventually to several ugly 
atrocities.  In the aftermath of the Fifth Frontier War, most of the 
lesser houses was stripped of their titles and exiled to Ley Sector by 
order of the Emperor: most of the major leadership was shot for High Treason.
With the leadership of the Lesser Houses not only destroyed, but 
considered dishonourable - this in a culture that values honour above all 
else - the continual bushfire wars of Efate came to an pernament end. 

RELIGION

While the Servani Cults are the most flamboyant religion on Efate, the 
dominant religion remains Imperial Catholicism.  The Deneb Rite remains 
the most influential with over half the population's alligence, but Sylean, 
American, and Vilani Rites are also common.  

The population is quite pious, and place strong emphasis on the 
graciousness of the Lord.  Assorted religious meetings - from major 
religious festivals to spontanious 'street dancing' - is quite common.
While Efate does not have the most awe-inspiring cathederals or the most 
learned and wise of churchmen, they do embrace their faith with vigour 
and joy.  Which is somewhat ironic: about 2/3rds of Regency Christians 
believe that nonhumans shouldn't be allowed to join the church, either 
because they lack the "imageo dei" (the Image of God), or because they 
feel that Christianity is about God speaking to men, and that God would use 
other native religions to speak to nonhumans, not Christianity.

The tendency of Efate Catholics to stress the power of the Holy Spirit - 
and to utterly ignore the commandents and laws of God - tends to 
aggrivate most Catholic churchmen.  Never mind the problem of whether 
Jesus died for nonhuman sinners or not, or even if this theology even 
makes sense when applied to aliens. Or even if Efate are 'sinners' in any 
meaningful sense: how can they transgress a law that they never recieved?

Note: Efate was a major beneficiary of the Regency Industrial Development 
Program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer


------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 95 13:42:38 PST
From: "James M. Kelleher" <kelleher@holonet.net>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (traveller post)
Subject: Immortals...
Message-ID: <199511122142.NAA00191@holonet.net>

Hello,

I got an idea from some of the comments that have been going around and
would like to share them... Jim don't think that I'll use these
neccessarily... :-) ( I KNOW you're reading this )...

Immortals:

Well yes we have been here for Milinnia...

We have been living amonst you, keeping a "Masquerade".

Have your players accidently find out one immortal's True status...
What will he/she do?
Kinda depends on what kind of project he/she has going, and how
convenient it is for him/her to "die" and go underground again.
He/She could just try to discredit them or Kill them, remember such
a being would be able to weild Tremendious power, both political and
physical.
Hummm this could make a campaign in its own right, but I see it as more
a side treck and problems to dodge, you might not let them realize why
they keep having problems, They are close to the "secret" and are being
warned off, but knowing players they would just go deeper into the
puzzle... ;-)

This could keep them happy for years... <eg>...

No Jim I Am NOT thinking of using this in our game! ( I wouldn't do
that... Would I?
Heh heh <eg>
Then again you might have already crossed paths with such and never
known it...
Who knows... I don't... Yet.

Just an Idea, Ya know it's hard to pass ideas on when one of your
players/Dm's also reads the list... :-)

See you
JIm


-- 
Remember: no matter where you go...
There you are...
B. Banzi

James M. Kelleher
kelleher@holonet.net


------------------------------

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 20:11:05 -0500
From: Wesley.Esser@hd62.haledorr.com
To: Rob Miracle <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Airframes and Contra-grav
Message-ID: <"755*/G=Wesley/S=Esser/OU=hd62/O=hale and dorr/PRMD=haledorr/ADMD=mci/C=US/"@MHS>







         Hullo..

         I have been thinking about contra-grav and airframe structures in
         relation to ship designs and atmospheric landings, and I have a
         couple of question/thoughts.

         1)      In TNE Contra-Grav negates the attraction of a massive
         body (the planet) on another body (the ship) in such a way that
         the small body seems like it is in a grav field 1% of the normal
         grav field of the massive body.  If that is the case, why does it
         take so many G-hours to take off from a planet in a contra-grav
         equipped ship?  With Contra-Grav, taking off from Earth would be
         about the equivalent of taking off from a small asteroid in terms
         of the gravity well.  The figures in the TNE book, which are
         already higher than what is needed in reality, are out of line by
         almost 2 orders of magnitude when the contra-grav is considered.
         Should the tables be adjusted to show this, or can anyone show me
         where my reasoning went astray?

         2)      Does an airframe hull provide aerodynamic lift?  The 1.3x
         weight multiplier is suspiciusly similar to the 30% of gross
         weight for for the hypersonic airframe, and the rules state
         explicitly that SL and AF designs are hypersonic.  Can an airframe
         ship take off w/o contra-grav and fly like an airplane?  If not,
         does anyone have any suggestions for designing a non-CG spacecraft
         that had aerodynamic performance in atmosphere?

         The reason I ask is that the ref in the hard sf campaign I am in
         has ruled that HEPlaR are just cheap, efficient fusion rockets,
         and that you can't use them in atmosphere.  Needless to say,
         getting off the ground is once again a difficult thing to do.  In
         this type situation, Contra-Grav becomes really vital, and worth
         the expendature in power for the reduction in fuel usage.   The
         airframe moves in the other direction, and provides rules for a
         decent jump capable space-plane, assuming that sufficient runways
         and other landing facilities exist.  Combining the two in one hull
         is still justifiable, as contra-grav is the ultimate vtol engine,
         and would allow for low-fuel landings on worlds without
         atmospheres.  I guess this all points to one of my personal
         disappointments with FF&S, the lack of integration between
         aircraft, lift vehicle and spacecraft design...sigh...I guess
         it'll be awhile before I build a jump-2 747.

         In terms of canon, this interpretation of contra-grav actually
         would move TNE closer to MT and CT in that it would make access to
         orbit simple and cheap (check out the cargo rates in TNE - you
         can't make money at 1000cr/Ton or 10000cr/Passenger).  The
         airframe bit wouldn't make much difference one way or the other,
         as all the classic designs use Contra-Grav, but it could be useful
         for lower tech ships that are strapped for power.

         So whaddayall think?

         Wes Esser
         wesley.esser@haledorr.com

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 481
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