Discussion between David Johnson & Hans Rancke:
> This is what the *JTAS* Contact article suggests. My suggestion
> is that that entire `real man' schtick for the Sword Worlds is all
> just a bunch of Imperial propaganda. I suspect the Sword Worlders
> are no more `paternalistic, macho, vain, braggarts' than Zhodani
> are `mind-sucking, inhuman totalitarians' once the veneer of
> Imperial propaganda is removed.
I've been watching this discussion for a while, and it has prompted me
to post some of my own material on Sacnoth. Regarding the above, I
sifted through the description of the Sword Worlders in the Contact
article, compared it to the apparent Imperial standards of behavior,
compared the Imperial culture to 1980's American culture (the two are
quite different), and concluded that Sword Worlders are probably a lot
like conservative 1970's Americans. By *IMPERIAL* standards, the
SWers are `paternalistic, macho, vain, braggarts'; by 1990 normal
American standards, they *might* be mildly sexist and/or racist; by
1990 American liberal standards, they're Republicans :-). By 1970
American standards, they're just plain folks.
What follows is my campaign summary for Sacnoth:
Sacnoth is a very Earth-like world, one of the most Earth-like in the
entire Spinward Marches. It is slightly smaller than Earth, and the
gravity is slightly lower (0.89 G). There is slightly more than half
as much water (49% of the surface area). Its sun is somewhat brighter
than Earth's - an F9 V. The temperature and climate is about the same,
though there are more local climatic extremes due to more land and
less water to buffer the climate than Earth has. The atmosphere is
standard O2-N2 mix, but polluted from Sacnoth's industries and cities.
Fortunately, Sacnoth's medical and environmental technology keeps up
with the resultant health problems. It has a long day, 33.68 hours,
and a long year (504 Sacnoth days, 708 Earth days). The seasons are
correspondingly long, and, in the early days of Sacnoth's settlement,
the six months of winter resulted in a very high rate of clinical
depression and suicide. At the present time, this hazard is averted
by light-enhancing interior design and customary use of
stimulant-laden drinks during the winter. (They drink lots of
coffee-type drinks.) Winter Melancholy is still a frequent
affliction, but is almost instantly recognizable and easily treated.
Sacnoth is inhabited by 8.91 billion people, the overwhelming majority
of which are human (A very few Vargr, no Aslan, no minor races),
mostly of Solomani descent. There are some people of mixed
Vilani-Solomani blood, but the cultural heritage is overwhelmingly
Solomani Scandinavian-Germanic. The major population centers are the
megalopoli of Berkagerdi, Trettigard, Jordestad, Tyssestad, and
Asarna, and various other, lesser cities (under 100 million). The
megalopoli are divided into city-sized administrative units called
Cantons, ruled by a noble of at least Baronial rank. There are two
city-sized orbital habitats, Vemdalhavn and Eyrarhavn, and many
smaller, factory-sized installations. The shipyards of Berkagerdi and
Vemdalhavn are capable of building up to 5000 ton starships, and a
variety of non-starships.
The current government of Sacnoth is a feudal monarchy (NOT a
constitutional monarchy!); the current King is Harald VII. He is the
same monarch who ruled before the war, though certain of his advisors
were ousted in the political re-alignment that resulted in the
formation of the Border Worlds. Sacnoth nobles traditionally have
families late in life (age 75 to 125), and King Harald's heir, Prince
Johann, was killed in naval combat during the war, so the question of
succession is somewhat uncertain right now. Current politics revolve
around the succession question, and the very real resentment felt by a
significant fraction of the population (esp. the military) at
"knuckling under" to the Imperium and "becoming an Impy puppet state".
The military in particular feels betrayed by the government they
served so loyally, much like the German Army after WWI.
Transportation is uniformly gravitic; wheeled vehicles are quaint
museum pieces from other worlds -- much like chariots in the real
world. Sacnoth builds very high quality grav vehicles (TL 13).
Sacnoth medical technology is extremely advanced (TL 14); if there are
any pieces of you left to put back together, they can probably fix
you. As a result, in addition to the standard crimes defined now,
violence against another person falls into the categories of Assault,
Lethal Assault, and Murder. Murder is an Assault that results in
permanent death, whereas Lethal Assault is an Assault that results in
temporary death (dead, but resuscitated later).
The standard of living is uniformly high, though there are always
people who are less advantaged than others. However, there are no
"backward" parts of the world. As is to be expected in a world of
almost 9 billion people, laws and regulations affect most fields of
endeavour, but are not particularly oppressive -- just annoying.
Paper is another quaint historical curiousity, but entering data into
administrative databases is still called "paperwork". Sacnoth's
industries are mostly automated, but household robots are unknown and
the use of robots to replace anything besides dumb manual labor is
virtually unknown. However, all equipment more sophisticated than a
broom is quite "smart" (think modern microwave oven, but voice
controlled, for example).
A few noted products/brand names:
Husqvarna - energy weapons, gauss weapons
Nibellung Gravitics - grav vehicles - Enclosed air/raft
Tonsonig Metals - fissionables, industrial crystals, basic alloys
System Fleet - After FFW
about 70% of Sacnoth's fleet was destroyed during the Fifth Frontier
War. What remains include 32,000 heavy fighters, approx. 600,000
tons Jump-3 capable (avg 50,000 tons?, approx 12 hulls), 4.8 million
tons Jump-2 capable, and 7.2 million tons Jump-1 capable (avg 5000
tons, 2 biggest 30,000 tons, total approx 1440 hulls).
World Builder's Handbook write-up:
Spinward Marches 1325 / Sacnoth B775956-C
diameter: 11500km density: 1.02 mass: .68 surface G: 0.89
Rotation: 33.68 hrs year: 505.54 local/708.04Earth days
axial tilt: 26 Eccentricity: 0 satellites:
core: molten seismic stress:
atm pressure: 1.0 atm atm composition: O2-N2 w/pollutants
Hydro: 49% Hydro comp: H2O
BMST: 15.4 C
summer mod: 15.60 ecc mod: 0 day mod: 7.57 Rfactor: .90
winter mod: -26 lat mod: 6 nite mod: -16.84
HEX ROW Summer Winter
day night day night
1 40.98 16.57 40.98 16.57
2 34.98 10.57 34.98 10.57
3 32.88 8.47 22.48 -1.93
4 30.78 6.37 9.98 -14.43
5 28.68 4.27 -2.52 -26.93
6 26.58 2.17 -15.02 -39.43
7 20.58 -3.83 -21.02 -45.43
8 14.58 -9.83 -27.02 -51.43
9 8.58 -15.83 -33.02 -57.43
10 2.58 -21.83 -39.02 -63.43
11 -3.42 -27.83 -45.02 -69.43
Mapping: 7 plates
Resources: radioactives, crystals, agroproducts, non-metals, parts,
durables,
recordings, software
population: 8.91E9 native life: yes
City/port: Port Pop Orbital City Port Pop
--------------------------------- ---- --- ------------------ ---
Trettigard B 4E9 Vemdalhavn B 7E6
Berkagerdi B 3E9 Eyrarhavn F 6E6
Jordestad F 7E8
Tyssestad F 5E8
Asarna F 2E8
?????? H 9E7
?????? H 5E7
?????? H 4E7
?????? H 4E7
?????? H 3E7
?????? H 1E7
33 x H 5E6
90 x H 5E5
330 x H 5E4
RURAL 1.05E7
Social Outlook:
Progressiveness Att: Conservative Act: Advancing
Aggressiveness Att: Competitive Act: Neutral
Extensiveness Global: Discordant
Interstellar: Aloof
Customs: nobles have families late in life, stimulant drinks used during
winter, Lethal Assault and Murder are different crimes,
Government: Ruler (no division)
Legal:
Uniformity -
Profile: 6-69775
Technological:
Profile: CC-CBBED-DDDC-DC-E
SYSTEM DATA
Primary : F9 V
Orbit: 0 DM companion
1 EMPTY
2 G880236-C(9) Muspelheim Mn Re Nv
3 Y550000-0 Surtheim
10 Y100000-0
30 Y100000-0
4 B775956-C(8) Sacnoth
5 SGG [84 0.16 185 1.68] Niffleheim
7 YS00000-0
8 H400000-B(9)
60 YS00000-0
-- Cynthia Higginbotham
"Q: What is the difference between the BATF and the Gestapo?"
"A: BATF agents speak English."