Farreach Margravate

From Traveller Wiki - Science-Fiction Adventure in the Far future

The Margravate is a fairly large interstellar state centered on three clusters of worlds, lying mostly in the Delta quadrant of the Glimmerdrift Reaches Sector. The Margravate has existed (in one form or another) since the last days of the Rule of Man, though in that time is has been conquered, liberated, expanded, reduced to only 3 worlds, and at least twice wracked by internal wars.

The Margravate is a very loose organization ruled by an elected council headed by the hereditary Margrave. In recent times the central government has become little more than a political ornament and as a result the Margravate is in deep decline. Central control has broken down, the Margrave has been nothing but a figurehead for centuries and member worlds have been jockeying for influence and control over their neighbors for decades. It seems likely that the Margravate will break up sometime in the next few decades, though the dissolution is not likely to be very violent.

The Loyal Nineworlds Republic, located to Rimward in the Sepik Subsector, has annexed the world of Shoehorn and seems inclined to keep taking territory in the region. Protests (probably the only means of retaliation the Margravate has available) have not deterred the Republic, and if expansion continues a conflict of some sort becomes increasingly likely.

This is not a conflict the Margravate can win.

The Margravate has traditionally maintained a naval force controlled by the central government. This force is composed of vessels constructed specifically for it, and crewed by personnel from across the polity. However, the Margravate Navy is bitterly divided along factional lines, and no longer properly controlled by the central government due to planetary influences being brought to bear. Many worlds want to see its resources divided up among them. Ironically, the only obstacle to this is lack of agreement on the division.

In addition to the Navy vessels, various member worlds maintain private navies, some of which are coming to rival the Margravate Navy in size and capability. Vessels are mainly in the light cruiser size range, but tend to be generalist designs carrying a small wing of fighters, some ground troops and craft for them, and a light spinal mount.

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.

– Into the Glimmer Drift