Arden (world)
From Traveller Wiki - Science-Fiction Adventure in the Far future
| Arden/Vilis (Spinward Marches 1011) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Imperium | X554000-0
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| Classic Era (1115) | C5549CB-8
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| New Era (1200) | A554ACB-B
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| See also | UWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary | M4 V M5 D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gas Giants | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planetoid Belts | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arden is a moderate sized world with a thin atmosphere and rather sparse surface water. Arden was considered a good colonization candidate despite less than ideal conditions. As a result, large numbers of settlers arrived in the early years of Imperial expansion into the Spinward Marches Sector.
Arden prospered, but did not thrive. It gradually built a stable TL-8 society and a population of about 1 billion, as well as a market for its products in the surrounding worlds.
During this period, the political structure ossified. The Arden Society became an oligarchy, with elected officials in the government being drawn solely from membership of the society. Membership to the Arden Society membership can be granted as a result of financial contributions or service to the ideal of the society.
The Arden Society seeks to make Arden a major player in the interstellar stage. As well as government control, The society controls a number of industrial or commercial bodies, and is recently expanding off Arden.
The Society has an imperialist agenda, and is a major player in the move to create the Federation of Arden. It seeks to further its agenda by creating political influence by use of economic and mercantile activity.
Arden has strict laws and bureaucratic procedures in place. Enforcement is vigorous and efficient, not least because the Arden Society uses it dominance of the political structure to prevent any threat to its power base. Meanwhile, the planet is undergoing a steady industrial growth, acompanied by investmets in an expanding tech base.
Arden is especially interested in starship technology. Its Class C starport can not build starships, but can service, repair and maintain starships using imported parts. Several Arden based companies own and run starships, and the government maintains a respectable system squadron and some jump capable warships. However, further expansion of civilian or naval assets is outside the investment capabilities of Arden, hence the need to devolope an indigenous shipbuilding capacity.
Arden is in neutral space, between the Third Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate. The political tensions could be used by Arden to gain investment or assistance in the necessary in the required industries.
Arden (and its federation) is neutral towards the Imperium. Arden imposes the same rules on Imperial ships as independent ships passing through. These include import tariffs and other practices not permitted in Imperial space, which are not imposed on Arden registered ships. A number of free traders have chosen to accept nominal membership to the Federation in return for the tariff concessions.
[edit] Era: New Era
With the Zhodani/Imperial improved relations from 1119, the importance of Arden as an free port between the two powers lessened. The Federation has formally become a multi-system government, and is still a popular place for elements that thrive in an extra-national environment.
Arden is not a signatory to Spinward States Accord. This allows Arden to underscore its independence, as well as allowing the Federation to use Virus as a weapon. The Federation as a whole refuses Zhodani refugees, returning them to the Consulate or forwarding them towards the Regency.
| This article was copied or excerpted from the following copyrighted sources and used under license from Far Future Enterprises and by permission of the author. |
| – The Spinward Marches |
| – The Regency Sourcebook |
