"anah a DU AURORE souRCEbO: Introduction. 2 ‘Aurore: Background. see alts Aurore: The World. 8 Life on Aurore. nee 15 Aurore: Biology. x 20 Adventuring on AUrote.-nnn 28 Planetographic Details. i 38 Color Plates. ra 45, Special Information 66 Personalities ie) 73 The Kafers. 79 Miltary Operations. 84 Design, William H. Keith Jr. Development and Assistance.......Loren Wiseman ‘and Frank Chadwick Art Direction Barbie Pratt Art Assistants LLauretta Oblinger ‘and Dana Reischauer Cover At... ‘Steve Venters Interior Art Rob Caswell ‘and Bryan Gibson Color Plates. David Deitrick Typesetting. Michelle Sturgeon Copyright ©1987 Game Designers’ Workshop, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Made in USA. ISBN 0-943580-37-4. Traveller: 2300™ is GDW's trademark for its science fiction role-playing game set in the 24th century. Traveller® Is a registered trademark of Game Designers’ Workshop. PO Box 1646, Bloomington, Illinois 61702-1646 USA GAME DESIGNERS" “WOR KS'H'O'PPage 2 Game Designers’ Workshop 1 Introduction ‘Aurore Sourcebook contains background information for use In Traveller: 2300 campaigns and adventures. tis not an adver ture but gives an overview of the conditions, terrain, biology, and colonies of Eta Boots lc, known fo inhabitants as Aurore Aurore is Earthlike enough that humans can live and work in its temperate zone without resorting to cumbersome survival gear ‘or protective suis. Only slightly smaller than Earth, Aurore is primarily a vast unexplored wildemess; the regions which have been thoroughly explored and developed around each of Aurore’s three human colonies are relatively small, much of the surface has, ‘only been superficially surveyed and mapped. The fact thet Aurore is actually 2 large satellite of ¢ superjovian gas giant has created extremes of climate and surface conditions which present, Traveller: 2300 player characters with unique and interesting problems. This sourcebook was created to femllarize referees and, players with the world—and withthe problems characters wil face. Some of this information appears ina diferent form as background material in Kafer Down, a Traveller: 2300 came module set on Aurore. Aurore Sourcebook contains more com- plete information on Aurore, however, allowing the referee to set ‘Traveller: 2300 campeigns enyuhere on the planet, The module Keler Dawn Is not needed to complete the information presented here but can complement background material in this sourcebook. ETA BOOTIS STAR SYSTEM Coordinates: X ~26.8, Y ~14.3, Z -102 Eta Bootis A, Muphrid Type GO IV Mass: Luminosity: 6.5 Sol Radius: 2.5 Sol Eta Bootis B, Rubis Type: MO V Mass: 48 Sol Luminosity: 104 Sol Radius: .54 Sol Planetary System: The Ets Bootis System consists of five gas Giants all orbiting the systems double primary in its outer zone. Eta Boots A and B orbit one another with an average separation of 1.425 AUs, with an orbital period of 495 days. The stars are too close together to allow Earthlike worlds to orbit one star or the other, too far apart for an Earthlike world to exist ina habitable zone circling both. T Hesperus Orbial Radius: 4.5 AU Orbital Period: 6.39 years ‘Mass: .8 Jupiter I Tithonus Orbital Redius:5.85 AU Orbital Period: 9.47 yeors Mass: 5.3 Jupiter MI Laodemon Orbital Radius: 8.19 AU Orbital Period: 15.7 years Mass: 1.6 Jupiter IV Theia Orbital Radius: 12.28 AU Orbital Period: 28.8 years 1.75 Sol ‘Mass: 5 Jupiter V Astracus Orbital Radius: 19.66 AU Orbital Period: 58.37 vears Mass: .28 Jupiter ‘An ESA exploratory mission in 2238 surveyed the system and catelogued the plants. Ete Boos Il was immediatly noted as | a further study, | I, Tithonus Mean Orbital Reus: 5.85 AU Or. bital Period: 9.47 years Mass: 1.007% 103" gms (5.3%Jupiter | ‘005 Sol.) Equatorial Diameter: 257,000 km (1.8Jupiter) | Rotational Period: 5h 32m 12s Surface Temperature: 1120°K Luminosity: 00003 Sol This largest of the Eta Bootean planets isa small member of that class of objects known as “brown dwars.” Over five times ‘more massive than Jupter (Sol), Tithonus racates far more heat than it receWves from its suns due to gravitational contraction. It isnot quite massive enough to trigger the thermonuclear reaction which would allow ifo“turnon’" and shine as atrue ster, thus, itis doomed fo exist as a sullen, dull-glowing body Wing halfway con the hierarchy of cosmic objecs between the largest rue planets and the smallest true stars ‘The heat Tithonus gives off, however, is suficient fo create 2 | narrow habitable zone at a distance of 3.6 planetary diameters. “Tithonus third major satelite les within the habitable zone and is massive enough fo have retained an almosphere during is ea: ly history. That satelite, Eta Boots lle, is the world which men Know as Aurore Eta Bootis Ile, Aurore Mean Orbital Radius: 927,525 km Orbital Period: 2.537 days Rotational Period: 2d 12h 51m 12.96s (2.537 days) Equatorial Diemeter: 9450 km Circumference: 29,688.1 km Mass: 2.27 x 102 gms (.38 Earth) Density: 6.07, amsicm® (1.1 Earth) Surface Gravity: 728.6 cmisec+ 2 (743 G) Escape Velocity: 8.3 kps Axial Inclination: 1° Temperature (Hot Pole): 90°C-+ Temperature (Cold Pole): ~75°C to —35°C. ‘Magnetic Feld: 5.5101? gauss ited 8° to the pole Atmosphere: Pressure at Sea Level: NZ. 78.58% O% 19.34% Ar: 1.23% C02: 305 ppm 02 and SO: 10 ppm Other Constituents, in cluding Ne, Kr, and NO#: 1.5 ppm Tidal Effect: .02 Tithonian Gravitational Field: 129 Sol et 1 AU.‘Aurore Sourcebook Page 3 Aurore: Background Reteree’s Note: This section details the history of the Eia Boots colonies. While the information in this section will be generally available othe characters, it should be revealed to them only as the successful result of considerable research. Many of these fcs, especialy those dealing withthe Kafer War, have been| revealed only very recently and willbe avilable tothe characters only through conversations wth NPCs, consisent study of newsax printouts, or personal experience. Characters who have not bothered to spend extra ime researching, say, events of the Kafer Wer, may be exposed tothe appropriate information gradually du ing the course of an adventure as they learn it through contact with NPCs. For this reason, the referee should not allow the players to read the material inthis section but should instead relate ito ther bit by bit, at his discretion, and as a result of ongoing roleplaying interactions, The referee should, of course, be familar wth the material in his section so that he can maintain consistency In his descriptions of Aurare, the colonists, and the Kafers. BACKGROUND: HISTORY First Survey: The first long-term human visitors to the Eta, Bootis system were scientists of the French Imperial survey vessel, Le Chercheur, on a French-directed, ESA-sponsored mission 10 chert the systems of the finger of the French Arm beyond Beta Comae. Earlier explorational visits had noted that Eta Boots’ inner system was barren of planets due to the perturbational effects of the GO IV stars red dwerf companion and thatthe system's second planet ‘was @ sub-brown dwarf of possible interes for future missions. Data drawn from longrrange photographic and spectroscopic surveys, had alerted the scientists aboard Le Chercheur to the possibilty that one of the brown cwar’s satellites might lie within a narrow habilable zone created by the superjovien’s own radiated heat. A ship's boat commanded by Capitaine de Corvette Georges Loubet ‘made the perilous approach through the superjovian's radiation belts by executing a transpolar orbital Inseribn, landing on Eta Boots llc near the present site of Lumiere d’Aube on August 24, 2238 LLoubet’s expedition remained on the planet for 18 days, visiting four different sites and transmiting the survey reports to Le CChercheur by laser. While attempting to land at a fith site, the landing boat was destroyed by the arrival of an unexpectedly high tidal surge, and Loubet and his entire command were los. First Colony: in 2240, on the return of Le Chercheur to Earth, data from the survey were disseminated among ESA member states. The Ukraine, though not a member nation, had close politcal and scientific treaty tles with the European Space Agency ‘and was intensely interested in establishing an out-world colony. In 2241, in exchange for promised development royalties, the Ukraine received an ESA charter fo exploit the commercial potential of Eta Boots llc. Three years later a Ukrainian colonial exped tion headed by Vasily Marios and Polkovnik Yuri Leonivich Kamarov arrived in the Eta Bootis system aboard a leased colony transport converted from the aging French bulk freighter Sans Facon. The site chosen for the new colony was a mountainous island Continent astride the equator in the eastern hemisphere which of fered some shelter from the world’s fierce storms. World, conti rent, and colony all were named "*Novoa Kiyev."" Second Colony: Promises of rapid commercial exploitation ‘of Novoa Kivev's mineral resources proved overoptimistic. The Terran Ukrainian government was unable to expand funding of the colony to meet unanticipated losses of equipment and develop: ment costs. In 2245 the French decided to establish a colony of their own in the planet's western hemisphere. The settlement of Port Loubet was established late in 2246, ‘Though the French colony, 100, encountered unexpecied ai ficulties in the economic development ofits interests on the planet, French off world industrial Interests and a public spirit of national pride at home combined to funnel money through the Colonial ‘Authority to secure and expand the French base. The settlement cof Port Loubet grew to become Aurore, a name which, inevitably, ‘was extended 10 embrace the entire planet. Since French media and trading corporations had far more visibility on Earth than did the Uxrainian government, the name “Novoa Kiyev"” soon was understood to refer to the Ukrainian colony alone. The name ““Aurore” provided the mythological basis for nam ing the other planets of he system. In particular, Aurore's gas giant primary became “Tithonus.” In myth, Aurora, the Greek Eos, god: dss af the dawn, pleaded with the gods to grant her mortal hus band eternal life, forgetting to include in her request a plea for ternal youth as well. The planet, Tithonus, seemed aptly named, sullenly glowing for billions of years, doomed never to achieve the celestial splendor and vigor of a true star. The twin suns of Eta Bootis became, simply, “Notre Soleil” (Our Sun) and “Rubis"” (Ruby). ‘Third Colony: In 2257, a third colony was established south ‘of the tidal fissure called "La Gouffre.” lis backers were aPage 4 aut Game Designers’ Workshop ‘multinational carel of North American and European corporations interested by survey reports which suggested that large deposits ‘of thenium and other metals might be present in the area in com- ‘mercial quantities. The American, Texan, and German colonists had already heard of the dificuties encountered by the French and the Ukrainians in establishing profitable mining operations, however, and with wry humor elected to name their colony “Tanstaall”—a very old, popular acronym for “There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." When the carl broke up the following year, due to the bankrupt «cy of feo ofits members, and corporate assets were frozen by the ‘American courts, Tanstaafl declared its independence and applied to the colonial authorities both of Aurore and of Hochbaden in the neighboring system for favored trade status. Presented with a fait accompli, and the possibilty of broken relations with Baveria, the United Siaies of America became the frst Terran government to formally recognize the Independent colony of Tanstaafl on February 12, 2258, Further Growth: In 2280 French expansion of mining out posts and farming settlements south of Aurore/Port Loubel led to the incorporation ofa satelite colony called "Lumiere d'Aube” (Light of Dawn). Though sfll administered through the Auroran Colonial Authority and dependent upon the por facilities at Port Loubet, Lumiere d’Aube was locally considered to be an entity apart from Aurore proper, a community of farming setlements or collectives clustered around the site ofa former mining outpost. Nearly half of the inital invesiment capital for Novoa Kivev, Aurore, and Tansteafi had been plowed into the construction of a iro of sophisticated power saelites in Eos-synchronous orbits and the microwave recienna farms and power iransmission grids on the surface. Though this investment slowed early economic growth, by 2285 nearly 70 percent of Aurore’s industry was Powered off the saelte grid, and itwas predicted that future grout, with this inexhaustible source of cheap power already in place, would boom. Primarily because of the power grid, all three Auroren colonies were showing signs of modest economic success by the 2290s. Already rhenium mines opened by Tanstaefl speculators were Judged fo be marginally profitable, and all promised higher returns as dealed surveys indicated sign of platinum, iridium, uranium, and vanadium in commercially exploitable quantities and place: ‘ment among the volcanic Hotback Mountains at the base of the High Desert Plateau. Despite the hardships of life onthe Auroran frontier, an influx of immigrants seeking a path to quick riches ‘swelled the world's population to almost three milion by 2297. More immedictely vital for he colonists than the heavy metals mines was Auroran agriculture. Native Auroran and Terran life | are raccaly diferent biochemically; humans cannot survive eating native Auroran food, and Terran crops do not grow in Auroran soil. A limited form of terraforming was employed to make food crops possible. Shiploads of sol from the Ukraine, South France, and the Great Plains were shipped at prodigious expense to Aurore, where it was divided into tiny parcels to be carefully worked into larger quent of sterilized native sil, An entire ecological chain ‘of cenain carefully selected Terran organisms, from ntrogen-ixing bacteria to earthworms, were imported, bred, and introduced to the carefully maintained terrestrial plots. ‘The process represented a large fraction of the initial cost and effort of establishing @ human presence on Aurore, but the colonial farms were selfsuficent by 2264, and viable dirt and Terran ‘organisms were no longer needed. The Tanstaafi setiement actually reported 2 food surplus in 2291, though ground-to-orbit transport costs prohibit the export of agricultural produets, The Kafer War: Contect with the alien race known as the Kaers was first made in 2295 by French scientists aboard a deep space research outpost at Arcturus, though attempts at establishing