As I’ve been asked this several times now, it seems there’s a demand for trying this.  Having initially chuckled at the idea as I couldn’t think of two things more different (in terms of size and scope), second thoughts suggested that the larger than life, perhaps light-hearted elements of both would make The Merry Widow a good fit for a scenario within the larger campaign.  So, the inevitable question arose, where?

 

I’d already searched Charted Space using Traveller Map for the UWPs (or close variations using the excellent UWP search tool) and the best I could come up with as a nearby pair was Sauma Forain (Ley 0915) standing in for Pontevedro and either Lakam or Shirshagi just a Jump away playing Lehar.  But these are right in the middle of the Luriani Cultural Association and are perhaps not a natural location.  (Although for Referees willing to put the work in, it might make a very interesting additional layer of culture and context for the shenanigans!).

 

The Pirates of Drinax books cover The Trojan Reach (in one of the rather lovely Mongoose 2^nd Edition hardback volumes, so I decided to have a look through the sector and see what I could find.  I did this manually rather than try searching using Traveller Map so I could be more flexible with regard to UWPs.

 

There are no exact matches for the two worlds but there are a fair number that are close in terms of UWP and close enough astrographically that they could conceivably be used.  Of course, it depends on how flexible you’re willing to be with regard to either adjusting the data given or adjusting the scenario to match the actual UWPs.  Are you more interested in keeping the distance between the worlds tight, or the UWPs as close as possible?  Are you more fussed about population variations or government type variations?  Would you be willing to fiddle with the physical environment, or would you rather tweak the social setting of the adventure as written?  Just how much work do you want to do to make it ‘Aslan’ or ‘Florian League’ or even ‘Zhodani’ which aren’t what was intended but might make it interesting.  There are other solutions as well, such as just dropping the two planets into the sector in place of worlds already there and declaring the OTU incorrect (or, more accurately, making it Your Traveller Universe as pretty much every Referee does); dropping them into whatever hexes are best suited to an ongoing campaign and declaring them worlds missed off the maps or some such; or simply not locating them at all and having a ‘side adventure’ without particular reference to a map.

 

Two worlds

The two worlds in questions are:

Lehar B677546-B

described as a pleasure planet, a resort, known for food, sport and “training in leisure and tourism” (which brings to mind anything from a 2^nd rate university course to a highly specialised geisha school!).  The government code is 4 – a representative democracy although I suspect I could have been looser on this as it’s not particularly critical.  The duelling can be explained under high law levels as a carefully controlled environment or under lower law levels as a specialist/separate thing with its own customs

 

Pontevedro D664636-6

impoverished, agricultural, known for craftwork, and pearls (so, water is required), few visitors (although I didn’t stress too much about that, I didn’t want something on major trade routes or with a large starport).  Government code 3 – self-perpetuating oligarchy – there’s a monarch.

(This last does raise interesting questions about government type and how ‘flexible’ you’re willing to make them – just look at the UK with a monarch and Representative Democracy.)

 

Method

For each subsector I skimmed the UWPs looking particularly at government code.  I was looking for 3 for Pontevedro and 4 for Lehar but I perhaps could have been looser on this.  I was aiming to find something relatively high-tech with a decent starport for Lehar (B and B but one or two either side would probably do) and something relatively low-tech and ‘agricultural’ with a poor starport for Pontevedro (D and 6 – but again some variation was allowed).  I tended to rule out anything with very small populations (although these could perhaps be used and make the UWP data a bit out of date with population influx or something) and mostly avoided non-breathable atmospheres although pleasure domes or enclosed agricultural set-ups could be used.  I also wanted a bit of hydrographics for Pontevedro.

 

With a list of potential worlds for each subsector, I then examined The Trojan Reach text for any world descriptions.  Some planets discarded on the basis of not really fitting the description; some could easily fit despite the description and a few were a bit marginal and might take some work from the Referee to rationalise or ‘fit’ but might make a more interesting scenario for that reason.  I kept the last two categories.

 

Next I considered the subsector map to try and find ‘pairs’ that were reasonably close to each other.  The Merry Widow talks about one Jump for a Jump-2 Far Trader and this would keep the adventure quite tight.  In fact, two or three Jumps probably wouldn’t be impossible to handle in a short convention game if you just elided over them and might work quite well in a campaign where intervening Jumps/worlds formed part of the ongoing events.  I checked neighbouring subsectors where worlds might find a better pair there – there are actually very few of these due to the astrography of the sector.

 

[I should say that there’s probably much easier ways of doing this, but it’s the best I came up with!]

 

It’s also worth saying that doing this as a Referee is invaluable in helping to determine what you want out of the adventure and any ongoing campaign.

 

I’ve listed the results subsector by subsector as referees are most likely to want to know the options in the vicinity of where their campaign actually is.

 

A Menorial

Either Bilke or Halka could stand in for Lehar (and you might get some mileage out of both of them being in the Florian League for embassies and ambassadors but there would be some revision necessary for the division between the Feskals and Barnai). Both have the right govt code but Bilke is a bit iffy on pop and tech so Halka is the better match. Heath could stand in for Pontevedro although the tech is a bit high. Bilke is only Jump 1 from Heath whereas Halka is three parsecs (two Jumps). So it depends whether you’d rather have closer stats or closer worlds and are prepared to fudge the tech (or say that the tech level is highport only, for example, and the planet is lower tech). You could conceivably use Taltern or even Szirp if you ignored the tech but these seem less ideal and would involve a long trek between planets.

 

B Egyrn

Moving on to Egyrn subsector, not so many options for Lehar - mostly due to the sector being quite low tech. There are several that could be Pontevedro if nearby subsectors can supply the other world. Goria and Kaldemar are outside possibilities. T’yana or Gollere could work if you could explain a Feudal Technocracy in place of monarchy. Perhaps a change of govt, or a misidentification by scouts, or a different kind of monarchy? Gollere actually has a description but I don’t think there’s anything there that would preclude Pontevedro and you could tie in their database purchase with poverty nicely. Carben might work but you’d have to explain the Red Zone (and count the monarchy as a Charismatic Dictator which isn’t a stretch). Pa’an might be a good match for Pontevedro except for the description (p.139) that it’s a lost Zhodani colony. But it might add a really fun wrinkle to the whole adventure! (And psionic duelling?!)

 

C Pax Rulin

Pax Rulin (subsector C) has a couple of iffy possibilities for Lehar (Cyan and Islent) but both are Amber Zones so maybe not. Likewise Rhysk which could be a good match for Pontevedro except for the Red Zone. Kydde would work for Pontevedro although the starport’s a bit upmarket but it is off the beaten path.  But there is Bantral and Berengaria just two parsecs apart. Bantral could almost be either Pontevedro or Lehar but if you take Berengaria as Lehar then Bantral would be Pontevedro (although tech is a bit high). You would get the whole Imperium / independent world bit though for embassies etc.

 

D Gazulin

Gazulin, Iscand or even Peridot could stand in for Lehar but you’d need to fiddle with or explain govt type (see previous). Mirage might work as it’s balkanized.  Junction could work for Pontevedro (though it’s probably too well travelled and the starport too good) but is only a parsec from Iscand (five from Mirage) but Corben with an E class port might be better although the population a bit low and again a Feudal Technocracy to ‘explain’. Options, options.

 

E Yggdrasil

There are lots of options here. 

For Lehar: Forandin, Ilnesh, Insec (but domes or something), Lucind, Tefsi (but pop a bit small) and at a stretch Zimt.  Best of the lot here is Boronu whose only real downside might be size and thus gravity – but as this gets fudged/ignored a lot in Traveller it’s not much of an obstacle.

For Pontevedro: Garnl, Picard and Tibolt but all three have govt 4 instead of 3 which might need some explanation/change, but Thor looks pretty good although the population could be larger.

Best yet Bornonu (and Zimt) are just a Jump away from Thor and you have the Florian League/Non-aligned border to account for embassies and ambassadors etc.

 

F Dpres

Acis and Tyr could be Lehar but for govt type but neither is insurmountable, Dostoevsky is not a bad match if you’re happy with one of the balkanized countries standing in for Lehar.  Solaria has the right government code and a good starport but perhaps has rather a low tech, but on the other hand is just one Jump away from Thor (see above) which would avoid using the Florian League if preferred.  For Pontevedro within Dpres, you could use Tktk (although ironically it has Lehar’s govt code so you’d need to switch this or account for it, or perhaps the even more marginal Sagan though the pop is a bit low and the tech level a tad high.  It’s also a Feudal Technocracy rather than monarchy but I can’t see why you couldn’t set up something like a king etc within a FT.

 

G Sindal

Thin pickings here.  And the possible problem that we’re right in the thick of standard Pirates of Drinax material so it might be too close to ‘home’.  Or perhaps that’s an advantage for fitting it in it?  Realgar is a pretty good match for Lehar   You’d need filters or domes etc and presumably would be importing water but it would work.  You could use Borite for Pontevedro at a stretch as you could probably wangle some explanation of the court in an Impersonal Bureaucracy set up.  Closer though to Realgar are Intelia and Gor in Tobia subsector.  The advantage of the latter are it keeps it all within the Imperium if that matters.

 

H Tobia

Wow!  This seems to be a densely packed subsector.  Lots of options again.

For Lehar: Berg looks really good with size, atmo, pop, govt and tech level exactly matching, with starport and hydro close enough.  Saurus also looks very good.  More marginal are Pryme (govt 8), Hexx balkanized so Representative Democracy is possible but it’s a waterworld (not necessarily a showstopper but not mentioned in the Library Data!), Darchona – not bad by possibly too much gravity? and Batav – a colony rather than RepDemo and even more gravity.

For Pontevedro, how about Gor or Intelia (see also Sindal for a Realgar link) although Intelia is a Feudal Technocracy again – although again, not necessarily a showstopper.  New has lots of UWP matches (starport, size, atmo, pop (and tech level just one off)) but is a Civil Service Bureacracy.  Pichot is a good match although the population is a bit thin. 

Interestingly, Gor/Hexx and Intelia/Pryme are just one parsec apart, Gor/Pryme and Intelia/Saurus are just two parsecs apart – and thus one Jump in the Far Trader.  There are other combinations that aren’t too bad if further distance is allowed.

 

I Nora’a

Another packed subsector but this time loads of Lehars and only one Pontevedro.  The main thing to note here is that we’re well into the Heirate so you’d either need to revise the scenario to have Aslan on one or both sides of the equation, or posit human enclaves, or I suppose, just conceivably, lost human colonies that aren’t charted.  Still, I could really see the Aslan honour and duelling really working given the adventure, so it might not be as hard as it looks and could pay dividends for feeling more rooted in Traveller.

For the Pontevedro (with the above caveats) H’a looks good although it’s not a monarchy it’s a RepDemo again – but maybe it’s an odd kind!  (I’m assuming Aslan govt codes are radically different to human as, aside from their special ones (G-N) the standard ones are being listed).  Then just a parsec away from H’a you’ve got Eawatrye which is a bit iffy for Lehar but not undoable (atmo B?  Feudal Tech again?).  Two parsecs away however you’ve got Ahaikhea (Participating Democracy an easy switch) but a bit low tech, Hkaha (but govt 9 and size 9), Hreahrya (but filters, and is the tech level too high?), and Tyea’ih (but govt 8).  Other options in the subsector are Ahrar, Aowaih, Ewoiftoil, Iryao, Khi, Khteiatloilr, Oihyeti’he and Souftea with some better than others.  Oseweheal to rimward in Ranib subsector could make a Lehar to H’a Pontevedro but is five parsecs away.

 

J Goertal

Now we’re in the Glorious Empire which might be even more suitable than the Hierate proper.

Two Lehars: Alr – pretty good and Ftulrois more marginally (bit low tech and a colony).

In the Aslan portion of the subsector we have Eauhti for Lehar and Tryaoke for Pontevedro – although there is a text description for the latter and it’s a bit questionable whether, if you were using it, you could really fit the two together.  Ftulrois is five parsecs from Tryaoke if the “cross-border” deal was helpful.

 

K Tlaiowaha

Another fistful of Lehars but only one Pontevedro.  Hleakhayes for the latter although the govt code is 8.  Three of the potential Lehars have text descriptions: Khusai, Tlaiowaha and Tyokh.  The latter looks like a poor match to reconcile but Tlaiowaha might work really well.  Its tech level is rather high but that might contribute to its ‘pleasure planet’ designation.  There’s reference to the chambers used for state functions “where beautiful consorts wait on scented pillows, where gold and iridium and precious stones decorate every surface…”.  Well, it’s a possibility.  Other Lehars could be Asoieteal (but govt 8), Camoran, Oiwoiieaw (but govt 9) and Staha (but govt) 8.

 

L Borderland

Again, firmly in Pirates of Drinax territory, as it were.  So the problem here is the worlds having descriptions that would tend to rule them out from ‘fitting’ (e.g Falcon and Tanith, otherwise not bad matches for Lehar).  Inurin and Arunisiir for Pontevedro get ruled out for the same reason.

 

M Ranib

Back in the Hierate, we have four Lehars: Ehearye, Hkakh (high tech though and iffy for atmo), Oseweheal and Aehahr but the latter gets a ‘no’ based on the description in the text.  Yekhtia might have been possible but for the description again.  No potential Pontevedro stand-ins but note that Oseweheal could be matched with H’a to coreward in Nora’a.

 

N Silraaihe

Still firmly in Aslan territory.  A couple of possibilities for Pontevedro: Aiuiktiyr (but govt 4) and Awaweaw but it’s description makes the latter something of a stretch.

For Lehar: Aiuite looks good, Ewyeyal and Htoihfui too, and Earlyu gets ruled out by description.

Htoihfui and Aiuiktiyr are just a parsec apart if that helps.

 

O Hkea’as

Amongst the Hierate worls we have a couple of Pontevedro possibilities: Airliweiw and more marginally Khtiyrlo (govt C!) but the latter gets ruled out by description.

In the human worlds there’s another potential Pontevedro in Burgess (although it’s starport is a bit much and its description might be tricky/interesting).  Tisilli has a description too but might be an easier fit although it is a waterworld.  It’s three parsecs from Airliweiw and again you have the cross-border situation.

 

P Binary

Unsurprisingly, nothing possible here!

Though, of course, the subsector would be a good place just to dump the two planets as they are and consider them either uncharted ‘finds’ or maybe some kind of limnal pair that phase in and out of ordinary space every x year/decade/century etc!

 

 

Summary

In my opinion The Merry Widow would suit being fitted into Pirates of Drinax as either a simple side adventure or as way of gaining the friendship of a backwater world that could possibly become a haven and resupply base.

 

Setting any published adventure (that hasn’t been written for the purpose or needs to be ‘moved’ for whatever reason) into Charted Space is always going to involve some compromise; Referees should consider what they’re aiming to do and decide how much compromise they’re willing to make – in the direction of published ‘facts’ or in favour of the adventure’s aims and purposes.

 

There are lots of possibilities in The Trojan Reach to set The Merry Widow.  Some fairly straight and ‘as written’; some requiring more work from the Referee but perhaps being more interesting for all that.

 

If, from all the above, I had to pick just a couple of pairs of worlds to stand in for Pontevedro and Lehar it would probably be:

Thor and either Boronu in Yggdrasil susbector, if I was up for learning enough about Floriani to have the cross-border interest of the Florian League, or Solaria if I wasn’t.  This neck of the woods has the added advantage of not being too close to the very well-travelled parts of Pirates of Drinax, but not too distant to be inaccessible.

Alternatively, keeping it all in the Imperium but quite close to the published adventures, Pichot and Saurus in Tobia subsector which I quite like and there are some variations there which would perhaps work as well.

But there are lots of other possible world pairings if you want something closer to the action.

 

I would of course love to hear from anyone running Pirates of Drinax who tries this.