OTU Only: The mysterious natives of Delphi Sector.

[GypsyComet]

The UWPs for Delphi Sector have no NIL listed, but the wiki page for the sector says:

• Non-Human Races
  • Unknown minor race
  • Unknown minor race
  • Unknown minor race

I've looked at the now >20 year old Delphi Project web page, since the wiki points at it, but while it has some interesting ideas, it doesn't look like any were implemented.

Any (new) thoughts?

 

[punkrabbitt]

I would take the wholesale lack of response as carte blanche to do as you will

 

[infojunky]

The UWPs for Delphi Sector have no NIL listed, but the wiki page for the sector says:

• Non-Human Races
  • Unknown minor race
  • Unknown minor race
  • Unknown minor race

I've looked at the now >20 year old Delphi Project web page, since the wiki points at it, but while it has some interesting ideas, it doesn't look like any were implemented.

Any (new) thoughts?

Go to town.... >Shrug< Another one of those core sectors orphans....

I am amused with the Astramani reference though.

 

[GypsyComet]

Hmm. Alright.

First, to address the elephant in the room, Delphi has two designated Droyne populations.
-Ewoin (0202) is shown as a Droyne World, Interdicted, and low tech. Scout Interdict, most likely, and for their protection. Hundreds of millions of them, balkanized.
-De Rome (0516) does not indicate a percentage, but the fact that De Rome is also a communications hub, has a top ranked port, significant Imperial nobility, and is also Balkanized, suggests that the lack of unity is Droyne-specific. One of the nations here is Droyne, and are staunch in their separation. That doesn't mean they are all separate, but most probably are. This scenario argues for no specific percentage of the populace, though I tend to think that less than 15% or so seems unlikely.

Neither world is ideal for Droyne and neither is flagged as an Ancients Site, so both are likely refugee worlds dating back to the Final War, or had their Ancient presence erased aside from the populace.

 

[Spinward Flow]

so both are likely refugee worlds dating back to the Final War, or had their Ancient presence erased aside from the populace.

That's a stretch.
I would think that all it would take would be a group of families set out in their starship and get marooned on these worlds tens of thousands of years ago (before the rise of humaniti in the region) would be sufficient backstory explanation. By the modern era, their descendants run to the millions.

After all, that's what happened to MORE THAN ONE PLACE in the Spinward Marches, so why couldn't anything similar have happened here?

 

[GypsyComet]

Ewoin being very low tech (TL2) might support a more recent lost colony origin, but the reality when it comes to Droyne worlds is that they either don't know or they don't tell. All indications are that Droyne being fairly tight-lipped about their past is near-universal. It took 8000 years of contact with the Vilani and their successors for the various Droyne worlds to be recognized as related, after all.

Out of universe, if you know the big picture, Ewoin is actively suspicious. As Droyne, they've been contacted by Grandfather and given the Coyns, and are using them as intended. Yet they remain very low tech. Given their location relative to Core Sector, there's a chance Ewoin has been under interdict for 1,000 years.

It is a bit of a mystery, and can remain one. Calling attention to it is, for our short term purposes, enough. Ewoin is a great high-stakes adventure magnet.

De Rome being balkanized can be interpreted several ways. Assuming the pre-existing Droyne were present in sufficient numbers and with sufficient tech to be taken seriously is not a stretch, but is hardly the only option.

 

[GypsyComet]

Candidate systems for "normal" native sophonts, based on T5 rules:
0210 Ceileachan D428896-8
0303 Ziraa C5559EJ-6
0407 Naldo C664897-7
0605 Ader D874ABE-7
0701 Jazz C421777-7
0705 Deng E645741-5
0904 Kamikir B99A99C-C
1103 Tsent B639954-E Hi
1203 Eustache E545898-5
1209 Heer C79679C-8
1307 Petronilla C431721-9
1502 Jaleel B625785-7
1507 Antony X431721-6
1605 Sao A431721-E
1701 Portland C431721-6
1801 Dishiirpi B525966-9
1805 Mach B431721-B
0313 Zukhimi A427979-B
0316 Hlutwig B5777C9-6
0319 McCallum D786885-3
0413 Orlando E673785-6
0515 Stoneburner B59176A-8
0818 Durkee B58579B-A
1019 Zzurvurh C551A9B-C
1114 Evraud D431721-6 (Vargr populace noted)
1213 De Coupeland A767787-C (Vargr noted)
2514 Mithra C431721-9
2612 Tolananda C525986-8
2720 Shunarshalad C667989-7
0129 Walden E687769-4
0226 Bishan D7699DH-4
0228 Koenig B792841-8
0329 Aklan B573986-B
0330 Zarkov C777843-5
0422 Dunk C769AEF-B
0523 Ziina E42399A-7
0528 Valli B562876-6
0623 Ychea A427988-D
0725 Darniki C624994-7
0827 Cheng B5448BC-9
0830 Lashkagur B74498A-C
1028 Edmonton C431721-A
1521 Kumish B543988-7
1523 Ashisesh D565984-8
1724 Anaxias A553A85-D
2026 Riirzukhindi E565984-8
2030 Hultor B431721-B
2726 Haiji X8D68AC-2
0134 Iimnime E767988-3
0138 Dashuun B577765-A
0437 Pavillion D544720-5
0536 Ektuurim C788774-4
0836 Wovim E54A998-6
0933 Rappik B57289B-8
0935 Pepsi D566877-2
1137 Monticello E6888CF-2
1140 McCluskey C625785-8
1234 Turkish C431721-6
1438 Mikkim B6888CF-8
1534 Medsa A431721-E
1840 Fasner E431721-8
1939 Calais D431721-8
2240 Beaknose B431721-8
2340 Gibbs C625785-7
2436 Marty C545898-7
3035 Breda A565984-B
3234 Huchonson B431721-7
3236 Abbot C567834-8

I see the Delphi "431" pattern appears in this 78 system sample quite a bit. Now to narrow the field.

 

[GypsyComet]

First, I'm going to just fiat the Very Thin atmosphere (2 and 3) candidates down to approximately one in six, by die roll. Forty-seven remain.
Next, remove one of the two water worlds, and the worlds with Vargr noted. Remove all of the A Ports and the highest TL, arbitrarily. Forty-two.
Silly names next. Thirty-two.
The systems in the two Subsectors with Droyne. Twenty-five.
Remove the extreme law levels, because.
Any other UWP patterns, remove half. Pull a few that have improbable rolls. Thirteen.

1203 Eustache E545898-5
2720 Shunarshalad C667989-7
0129 Walden E687769-4
0228 Koenig B792841-8
0329 Aklan B573986-B
0330 Zarkov C777843-5
0528 Valli B562876-6
1523 Ashisesh D565984-8
0134 Iimnime E767988-3
0138 Dashuun B577765-A
0536 Ektuurim C788774-4
0836 Wovim E54A998-6
1140 McCluskey C625785-8

What's left is a water world and several dry worlds but no true deserts. Everything else is 50%+ water. One world out in the Delphi Rift, but nothing down along the rim-trailing edge. Only one of the Very Thin atmospheres survived my capricious process, and only two Thins and three Dense. Two colonies, one Balkanized world. TL between 3 and 11. Too many in Subsectors I and M, but that's a side effect of removing A and E.

My inclination at this point is to go with Eustache (1203), Aklan (0329), and McCluskey (1140) just for distribution sake, but I'm open to feedback.

 

[BlackBat242]

Dr Zarkov always goes to worlds with multiple alien species, so...

 

[GypsyComet]

In retrospect, Mongo is a fairly typical Pulp Adventure destination. When you examine such places under later sensibilities, they can get even more interesting. Barsoom, Antares, and Mongo start to grow backstory. Barsoom actually had its own already, but Antares (Dray Prescott) and Mongo (Flash Gordon, et al.) were presented as is. Compare them to multi-species Majipoor, Darkover, Tschai, or Gramarye, or mystery worlds like Orthe (Golden Witchbreed).

So is Mongo, the Wandering Throneworld, another Majipoor (visited/occupied by different races so long ago they no longer remember they're aliens), a long-forgotten capital reactivated by Ming occupied by former imperial tribute slaves or "diplomatic fosters", or former home to a genetic tinkerer?