Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Federation of Arden write ups that I can find are:
1. in the DGP MT Journal No.1, Domain of Deneb library data- it's listed as 6 systems, run by a cartel of rich "adventurer" types, currently trying to expand.
Interesting. That is a reference I had missed. Thank you.
Some years ago I was corresponding with James Maliszevski about collaborating on a writeup of the Federation of Arden, but it fell through. I still have my notes and plan to get back to them some day. However, I always have far more plans for articles than I have time to finish, so if someone else can use my notes, feel free. (Also, if you spot mistakes or know of references that I haven't found, please let me know about them).
Rancke's notes about the Federation of Arden:
Canonical dates for the Federation of Arden
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300 Caloran, Zenopit, Zircon, (899-076??), and Arden are settled before now. [TA:15]
290 Arden becomes part of the Imperium. [SMC:8]
290-986 Arden is part of the Imperium. [SMC:8]
300 Arden is settled before 300 but remains independent until after 500. [TA:15]
400 Zenopit lies on a shortlived trade route to Sansibar. [TA:15]
470 Much of Vilis Subsector absorbed by Imperium.
[SMC:19; TD18:24]
500 Arden and Zenopit are independent. [TA:15]
589-604 Zenopit and Zircon becomes part of the Imperium during 1FW [SMC:14]
979-986 Zenopit and Zircon becomes independent during 3FW. [SMC:15
986 Arden is made independent as part of the Armistice of 986. [SMC:8]
1105 Utoland and Zircon are both independent. [SM:12]
1106 Colonists from Arden lands on Utoland. [BtC:59]
1107 Zircon colonized by settlers from Arden. [BtC:58]
1107 Utoland and Zircon are ruled as colonies by Arden. [EZ:5]
1110 Arden has recently become imperialist and taken over
Utoland and Zircon as colonies. [SMC:8]
004-1110 Short, bloodless coup replaces Arden's pro-Zhodani government with pro-Imperial coalition representing commercial interests both on and off-world. [JTAS #19]
1113 Federation of Arden seizes Zenopit. [BtC:15]
1115 Popular uprizing on Zenopit fails; starport damaged in the fighting. [BtC:17]
Historical points:
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1) It seems to me that the history of the Federation of Arden is pretty much the history of Arden. I mean, Arden has 8 billion people and its colonies combined a few million. Although we'll need a short writeup of each colony, I think we can justify concentrating on Arden.
2) There is a small cluster of worlds settled early in Vilis subsector: Caloran, Zenopit, Zircon, 899-076, and Arden. They have the following physical UWP scores:
Caloran: 796 (Terran-norm but w. tainted atmosphere)
Zenopit: 130 (Desert world w. very thin atmosphere)
Zircon: 792 (Earth-sized, but w. tainted atmosphere and little water)
899-076: 201 (Vacuum world)
Arden: 554 (Habitable, but on the small side)
In 1110 their UWPs are:
Caloran: C796746-5/5 Ag
Zenopit: D130546-7/6 Ni Po De
Zircon: C792668-8/6 Ni
899-076: E201300-8/5 Lo Ni Va Ic
Arden: C5549CB-8/8 Hi
Caloran, Zircon, and Arden requires no explanation why they were settled, although none of them are really what I would call firt choice for any settlers with a ship and most of the Marches to chose from. This suggests that they would get settled well into the 2nd Century when the better worlds were already taken. OTOH the fact that Arden joins the Imperium in 290 suggests that it had a respectable population already, which argues for an early settlement date to give it time to develop.
Suggestion: Arden was settled during the Pacification Campaigns by transportees exiled from the Imperial core. I'd suggest around 24,000 settlers dumped there in 96 by a relatively benevolent Imperial duke (ie. one who gave the settlers adequate supplies to go with their exile). This would enable Arden to set up a prosperous society in a couple of generations; by 200 they could be 100,000 or more and be able to support a few second-hand starships. This could attract settlers to Caloran and Zircon and enable Arden to set up mining outposts on Zenopit and 899-076.
Government
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There are two different descriptions of Arden's government, one in
Stranded
on Arden:
"Arden's government is a Charismatic Oligarchy; government officials are supposedly elected democratically, but in practice, candidates can only be members of the Arden Society, a small group of dedicated individuals who become members through financial or labor contributions."
...and one in
Behind the Claw:
"Arden is the capital of the Federation of Arden, and serves as its governmental center. The population of 8,230,000,000 sentients are ruled by a hereditary noble class, who elect a Lord Chancellor from among their number every six years."
This can be explained by a change in government between 1107 and 1120. And indeed, there is a TNS newsbrief from 1110 that says:
"Arden/Vilis (0201-C5549CB-8) Date: 004-1110
A short and bloodless coup on Arden has replaced the local pro-Zhodani government with a pro-Imperial coalition representing commercial interests both on and off-world. Unofficial sources indicate that the coup was because of the war's detrimental effects on trade in the region.
No further information is available at this time." [JTAS #19]
There could even have been more than one change of government between 1110 and 1120, which would explain how a coalition representing commercial interests turned into a charismatic oligarchy. The really interesting problem is where the hereditary noble class came from. Pre-coup Arden sounds like an ostensibly democratic system with a one-party setup (the party being the Arden Society). So where did the nobles come from? Presumably they are relics from Arden's pre-democratic period. And if they're still around, they are propably not more than a generation or two away from a time where they had some sort of power.
A related question is just who the members of the Federartion of Arden are. Is it Arden and its two colonies or is it a number of different regions on Arden proper? I'm inclined to say the second.
Here's my suggestion for a chronology of Arden's governmental structure:
96-290 Arden is unified.
290 Arden becomes Imperial client state.
5?? Arden becomes part of the Imperium. Local leader made Baron (or Marquis) of Arden.
986 Arden becomes independent. Followed shortly by balkanization.
10?? Arden Society founded with the goal of reunifying Arden.
10??-10?? The different national chapters of the Arden Society force local governments to join in a Federation.
1105 Arden is straining under internal pressures. Government turns imperialist to divert attention.
1106 Takeover (not colonization) of Utoland.
1107 Takeover (not colonization) of Zircon.
1110 Government toppled, Imperium-friendly (Megacorporation-influenced) government installed.
1112 Merchant government in turn toppled by aristocrats.
1113 Federation resumes expansion. Takeover of Zenopit.
I suggest we write up both the Arden of 1107 and that of 1120. One for the benefit of those whose campaigns are set pre-5FW and the other for the benefit of GT GMs.
Comments?
Other questions:
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1) Why did the Imperium accept Arden's takeover of two neutral worlds in the demilitarized zone? Arden's government was neutral-but-pro-Zhodani at the time. And why has both the Imperium and the Zhodani accepted Arden's further expansion since the war?
2) Arden presumably had several Imperial nobles in 986. What happened to them? Were they given other Imperial titles in compensation? Are there still someone out there with titles like Count of Arden and Marquis of Ardent?
Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
rancke@diku.dk
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In my opinion it ought to go without saying that if you work in another person's universe, he and anyone else authorized to work in said universe is implicitly permitted to use your work as background material. But I know it doesn't, so I hereby give my permission for Marc Miller and anyone else authorized to work in the Traveller Universe to use the above as background material.
