The Blight

[Gadrin]

I just got a copy of The Traveller Chronicle #7 (my first) and reading the article on the Far Frontiers, JK uses the term "the Blight" a few times.

Is this referring to the entire sector or portions of it ?





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[GypsyComet]

It refers to the big dent in the border of the Zhodani Consulate.

 

[Gadrin]

It refers to the big dent in the border of the Zhodani Consulate.

Thanks, GC -- Sorry for the "dumb question" but my info on the region is sketchy at best. Traveller Wiki didn't have anything on it, so I figgered I'd post here.

Boy the Merchant's War seems a bit overwrought, or am I blowing it up too much in my own mind/imagination ?

BTW -- what did you find the most interesting about the region ?

 

[GypsyComet]

Thanks, GC -- Sorry for the "dumb question" but my info on the region is sketchy at best. Traveller Wiki didn't have anything on it, so I figgered I'd post here.

Boy the Merchant's War seems a bit overwrought, or am I blowing it up too much in my own mind/imagination ?

BTW -- what did you find the most interesting about the region ?

The idea that something could cause the Zhodani to avoid an area that large and have no visible state boundary of its own is fascinating, and spawned the extensive history write-up in those articles. That it also leaves the area of the Blight as a veritable hot zone full of mutually distrustful worlds, pragmatically neutral merchants, and Zhodani agents under every rock drove the writing more than practicality. Recognizing that politics, psionics, and conflicting racial psychologies make for some fairly stupid moves (like the Merchant's War) only made it all easier to justify. The area is civilized but not civil, and the Zhodani only make it *worse*.

Fertile adventuring ground? You betcha.

 

[Gadrin]

The idea that something could cause the Zhodani to avoid an area that large and have no visible state boundary of its own is fascinating, and spawned the extensive history write-up in those articles. That it also leaves the area of the Blight as a veritable hot zone full of mutually distrustful worlds, pragmatically neutral merchants, and Zhodani agents under every rock drove the writing more than practicality. Recognizing that politics, psionics, and conflicting racial psychologies make for some fairly stupid moves (like the Merchant's War) only made it all easier to justify. The area is civilized but not civil, and the Zhodani only make it *worse*.

Fertile adventuring ground? You betcha.

Well, don't beat yourself up too bad, although it does seem to make the reader think of "childish copycat syndrome" has suddenly struck everyone from parsec to parsec.

"Hmmm, the news from X system is that they're sending letter bombs to the competition; golly gee-whiz, why didn't we think of that?"

The Zhodani mindset seems to be fractured enough that psionics don't really make a difference, but I suppose their political doctrine isn't strong enough to deal with the Aslan + Imperial encroachment in the region. "Strong enough" meaning they haven't applied their experience in dealing with the Imperials in other places in some "by the book" type of method to this area.

Of course the Imperials probably have some experience dealing with the Zhodani and can anticipate some of their actions. But I suppose the "by the book" method works both ways. Just because there are experts in Querion or Chronor, doesn't mean it's applied just as effectively here.


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