This was a "minor" periphery power, minor in terms of size but relatively powerful despite its size, that we had in a campaign way back when. Got the name from the Traveller RPG when I purchased the newest edition back in '93. Loved the name, hated the game, and now I'm trying to update it again. Think this is the third time. Did a very bland one in the beginning, then Tak and I upgraded it probably again back in 2000. So now I'm looking to do it for a third and final time to help with my writing skills.
Been stuck at this point now for about two months on where I want to go next but I have markers for important events all the way up to Clan Invasion.
Dawn LeagueOverviewThe Dawn League is able to trace its history back to the 23rd century making a claim as one of the oldest nations in the periphery. It is a relatively small periphery realm contained within a globular star cluster. The cluster was named the Aurelius Star Cluster by the navigator of the Jumpship Jupiter as it was the light in the darkness after discovering the cluster while being lost for months within the Aquila Rift. Located within the rift and roughly 600 light years from Terra, beyond the borders of the Circinus Federation and Lyran portion of the Federated Commonwealth.
Of the hundreds of star systems in the cluster, the League has only settled 18 of the stars within the cluster. The night skies of the cluster are bright with the glow of the nearby stars. Causing many of the worlds of the Dawn League to have no true night with their skies never getting darker than the dawn of Terra, and sometimes much brighter. Because of this, many of the worlds in the cluster have native life that has evolved to take advantage of the brighter environments.
Dawn LeagueAurelius Star Cluster
Founded: 18 December 2801
First Contact: Comstar 3034
Capital World: Irth
Government: Confederate Republic
Ruler: High Lord (Hereditary title among Gardiner Family; term Life.)
Economy: Mixed Economy
Primary Language: Star League English
Secondary Languages: Chinese, Greek, German
Number of Inhabited Systems: 18
Number of Inhabited Worlds: 24
Irth (Formerly Ashgabat)Ruler: High Lord Derrick Gardiner
Star Type (Recharge Time): F9V (180 hours)
Position in System: 4th
Time to Jump Point: 6.82 days
Number of Satellites: 1 (Bod)
Surface Gravity: 0.98
Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial Temperature: 32° C (Temperate)
Surface Water: 58 percent
Recharge Station: Zenith
HPG Class: B
Highest Native Life: Mammals
Population (3050): 3,320,585,000
Socio-Industrial Levels: B-B-B-B-B
HistoryAfter dealing with the Outer Reaches Rebellion the morale of many on Terra was at a low point. Corruption and scandals were regular events that regardless of government pressure rumors and accusations continued to reach the everyday citizens ears. Various group mainly originating from the old Western Alliance members of the Islamic Republic of Turkmen and Great Britain determined to flee the corruption of the Terran Alliance who had just violently repressed many worlds in the previous decade. Led by tech billionaire Tarik Safavid and real estate mogul Bernard Shaw the colonists began gathering their resources including a very sizable investment from the Chaffins Colonial Development Corporation. The group were allocated a Terran Alliance approved planet to colonize near the then furthest borders of Alliance space the group departed Terra in early 2249.
The expedition was progressing according to plan until trouble hit the expedition soon before reaching their intended destination. The supposed three month timeframe for reaching their destination had a glitch as the convoy jumped into a large solar storm in an uninhabited system while en route. Fearing casualties if not an outright loss of all hands on board Captain Thaddeus Dubouis of the Jumpship Jupiter ordered a quick charge to jump to their previous coordinates. Unknown to this day what caused the overload of the KF Drive during the storm but upon arrival at their expected location instead found themselves within a dense molecular dust cloud of unknown size with little to no stars able to be seen or navigate by.
With damage to the jacket of the core of their K-F Drive and the loss of the Jupiter’s sister ship the Juno in the transition morale quickly plummeted amongst the survivors. Safavid, Shaw & Captain Dubouis, along with other senior leaders determined that only reaching a planet that could sustain human life would ease the fears of all survivors. Completing the emergency repairs which allowed the ship to jump once again they began their search, hoping to determine their location hoping against all odds to find an existing colony or at least planet to settle. Months passed and many lives lost were lost as rations dwindled and tensions rose. Twice the expedition’s leaders had to deal with attempted mutinies by factions within themselves.
It wasn’t until after a grueling six months after arriving in their unknown location and eight months since leaving Terra that they were able to reach a planet that could sustain human life. Navigator Juliette Lucci happened to have the honor of first setting eyes on the Aurelius Star Cluster. Naming it after her older brother who was lost on the Juno and whose personality lit up the room just like the cluster lit up that area of space and ultimately the mood of all survivors.
Officially settled on January 3. 2250 by the settlers. They chose to name their planet Ashgabat after the city on Terra where many of the colonists originally hailed from. The settlers were forced to live a very simple life with limited supplies and no way to contact the outside universe after a micrometeorite breached the K-F Drive of the Jupiter a scant month after their arrival in system. This exacerbated an already tense situation and helped lead the colonists into a more spartan and austere life then intended. Not helping the situation was that the Juno was the ship responsible for transporting more than three-fifths of their heavy industries. Forced into living mainly as hunter/gatherers until the crop stocks brought from Terra were successfully altered to grow in the new and alien environment. The council that lead the expedition up to this point was quickly ousted following the many disagreements and bloodshed en route from Terra to Lhasa, as no central figure was able to gather enough support to lead the entire party many different factions chose to leave and separated into the many groups that settled different areas of the planet.
The Dark YearsGoing from a 23rd century lifestyle on Terra to an 18th century lifestyle on Lhasa was a true test to the early colonists. Learning old professions while trying to maintain many current ones led to an eccentric mix of professions for the surviving colonists those whose professions were unneeded due to the loss of critical supplies were relegated to many of these tasks relearning ancient professions like blacksmithing, tanning, etc.
Spreading out far the main factions centered on Safavid, Shaw & Captain Dubouis had limited contact during the following years as all parties concentrated upon survival of their groups. Adjusting to the fact that there was no longer a true night period Shaw’s faction built their domiciles under the earth while others adjusted in their own ways. It wasn’t until the next generation of children raised on the planet that the psyche of the humans on planet were able to adapt to the 30 hours a day of light.
Many years would pass for the Colonists as they adapted to their world. Eventually the separate settlements would reach out to each other sharing what they had learned and trading supplies of crops and animals that had either been genetically modified for the world or locally domesticated. It would go on like this for over a century before the cluster would be discovered by an outside power.
An Unexpected Dinner GuestOver the preceding century the population of Ashgabat grew quickly as medical technology which was mainly maintained at the levels of Terra when the original colonists left, but with the large agricultural trend amongst the populace large families had become the norm as more people were required to farm the fields. It was during the preparations for the 110th anniversary of landfall that the ancient communications system that had consistently been sending out an emergency broadcast recording finally received a response.
Nearly a decade earlier back on Terra no longer under the Terran Alliance but the Terran Hegemony, Director-General Michael Cameron had passed the Cameron Edict of 2351. Which caused a shock within the politicians as none were named. Instead, a mix of civilian and military individuals were selected. As the descendant of the ancient family that was nobility in old Britain Elizabeth Windsor was furious that she and her family were snubbed by what she considered her inferiors in the Cameron family, whom her family used to rule over when the old nobility still existed.
Choosing to leave Terra, Elizabeth and her family funded a much larger expedition than the Safavid & Shaw led one. Consisting of ten of the largest Jumpships currently available and as much of the cutting edge technologies that she was able to get her hands on, which was considerable considering her family ties to Hegemony government. This included a portion of Sheinhardt Universal Technologies that they were able to purchase on the cheap after being seized by the Hegemony shortly before the flotilla left Hegemony space in 2361.
Choosing to go further out than the Protectorate of Donegal portion of the newly formed Lyran Commonwealth but staying clear of the Rim Worlds Republic whom she had heard mixed reports about. The flotilla prepared for up to a two year journey through unknown space to find a new home. Finding many worlds along the way that they could settle, Elizabeth was extremely critical about each individual system. Ultimately taking a year and half and reaching over 500 light years from home that the flotilla happened upon the Rift themselves and blindly diving in and happening upon the Aurelius Star Cluster. Of all the systems within the cluster the Windsor flotilla happened to choose the same Ashgabat system. Arriving in system and alarmed to pick up the prerecorded distress call still broadcasting, the flotilla arrived in planetary orbit amazed to see to a thriving if primitive settlement already there.
Working titles of future events
Its Good to be the King....errr Queen.Straight from the Underground Make Love Not WarFleeing the Dragon's WrathA Knife in the BackThis Means War!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyeKYQdYISgPeace at LastHail the Conquering HeroesSecond ExodusStrange BedfellowsI'd Buy That For a DollarThe One That Shall Rule Them AllAt What Cost?Internal StrifeIf you Build it They Will ComeThe Golden Yearshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUuRGRcY9O0All Good Things Must EndCleaning Up The MessFirst ContactChoices
