Mertactor (Plankwell: Spinward Marches/1537) B262732-B S Cp 610 RE G1 V
G=0.26, Day=25:39:30.5, Year = 724d 20:36:54.14 Atmo=1.3, No Weather Control
Temp= +20.7 (4/lat +12 to -28) (season +12.42 to -43.0, 5.5 deg lat) Daily temp range 18.2
Agricultural; Agroproducts; Weapons; Artforms
Progressive/Enterprising, Competitive/Neutral, Discordant/Friendly
Legal: 2-20544 Tech BA-BBBBB-BBBB-BB-D
On the fringes of Regency space in the Spinward Marches lies Mertactor, a nexus for mercantile activity.
As a planet on the frontier, Mertactor is known for its free spiritedness and lawlessness. Felons fleeing the
authority of the Regency Navy, RQS and/or bounty hunters frequently stop off at Mertactor on their way to the independent
worlds and client states spinward and rimward of the Regency. Merchants carrying illegal goods find Mertactor to
be the ideal port to sell their wares. For the disenfranchised, disillusioned and disingenuous, Mertactor is the
last port on a journey to the outlands of unincorporated space.
The first colonists set foot on the system mainworld's terra firma in the early 300s. The majority of lots had
been purchased by Moran interests, which, under pressure from the Moran government, designated Mertactor (then
known as 567-910) as a population overflow world. Consequently, Mora issued the Relocation Initiative of 324. The
initiative was not looked well upon by the displaced colonists or the small band of colonists already on 567-910.
Although Mora publicly used "population relief" as their motive for the deportation, the deportees included
an inordinate number of religious dissidents, ex-cons and other malcontents. Draw your own conclusions.
To villify the Moran Matriarchs, the colonists deported from Mora named their world after the notorious freebooter,
Wilhelm Mertactor, who had raided, raped and pillaged the coreward subsectors of Gushemege in the twilight years
of the Ramshackle Empire. An ambitious public relations campaign by the Moran Matriarchs was demoralized and many
a political career fell by the wayside in the ensuing scandal.
Surprisingly, the Mertactans refused the clemency of the Moran government in 328, when they were offered repatriation
as compensation for their "unjust deportation." The Mertactan colonists had become accustomed to their
small but verdant new home and the majority decided to stay. By appealing to the IISS Exploration department's
colonial bureau, Mertactor was granted independence. Imperial officials saw this as an opportunity to prevent the
relocation scandal from travelling all the way back to the Iridium Throne. As part of the deal, the IISS was allowed
to establish a base on Mertactor. It wasn't until after the Fourth Frontier War that Mertactor finally accepted
overtures made by the Imperial Government to apply for
membership.
Descending from working-class deportees, Mertactans are proud of their uncompromising heritage. Mertactans tamed
the wilds of their planet, forging an advanced and forward-thinking society. The Mertactan Chamberlords reserved
approximately 25 percent of the planet's wilderness as preserves to avoid the ecological calamities that had occurred
elsewhere in the region due to reckless colonial bootstrap programs. The remaining portion of land was tendered
to offworld corporate interests with a mind to develop the planet's resources and promote trade and industry. In
order to preserve their independence, however, the Chamberlords carefully screened out any megacorporations, megacorporate
shadow companies and sectorwide corporations in order to prevent a takeover attempt by any one corporate entity.
Their conservative approach backfired and industry never really took off on Mertactor. Seeking to teach the upstart
colonists a lesson, the megacorporations had colluded with mid-sized corporations to boycott the Mertactans. Employing
every type of coercion imaginable, the megacorporations managed to squelch independent-minded investors from circumventing
the boycott.
Undaunted, the Mertactan merchant fleet took the initiative and began establishing trade agreements with the worlds
of the Daryen Confederation and the Sword Worlds. Famous Mertactan free trader and gambler Michaela Wallace took
her business all the way to the fringes of the Zhodani Consulate, and established trade ties with the Zhodani that
have survived numerous frontier wars and exist to this day. While most of the early Spinward Marches colonies also
traded with the established interstellar governments of the region, few dispute that Mertactan mercantile savvy
can open twice as many doors in half the time.
Modern Mertactan industry is essentially just subsistence for the planet's lucrative mercantile sector. Rather
than a producer of industrial or agricultural goods, Mertactans like to think of their system as "the best
damned conduit for trade in the Regency."
Landing at Mertactor downport can be a harrowing experience. The unregulated close orbit and airspace of the planet
are subject to more accidents per capita than on any planet in the sector. While there are ample spaceports on
the planet, only the B-quality facility in the capital city of Seacheard and the C-quality installation in Kaydah
provide services for interstellar craft.
While dodging free traders and air/rafts, visiting travellers will be impressed by the lush earth and blue skies
of Mertactor. Thanks to an absence of big industry and an abundance of scattered wilderness preserves, the planet
has been able to maintain its clean air and natural landscape. Due to the planet's rather small size and close
horizon, the clear azure skies seem to almost surround the reclining viewer.
Offworlders are frequently uncomfortable with prolonged exposure to Mertactor's low gravity. Generally, hostels
that cater to offworlders provide 1G suites to appease those who can't abide Mertactan lightfootedness for extended
periods of time.
Mertactor's thriving tourist industry offers a plethora of activities to visiting travellers. In the city of Seacheard,
visitors will be astonished by the beauty of the Daryen flame sculpture exhibit at the Seacheard Museum of Art.
Donated by First Frontier war hero, Admiral Koenig, the exhibit features some of the finest Daryen artwork to be
produced in the last millenium. At the Colonial History Museum, visitors may view artifacts, holovids and antique
equipment from the Spinward Marches' colonial past. Of particular note is an exhibition featuring what the museum's
curator claims are the original blueprints for the Type-S scoutship prototype. Children will enjoy visiting The
Wild Frontier, Seacheard's largest amusement park replete with an imported Moran virtual reality entertainment
center.
Inghvernar, Mertactor's largest ocean, lies 280 km to the west of Seacheard. Mertactans on holiday flock to Inghvernar's
golden beaches. Well-travelled offworlders will be less impressed by the beachfront of this body of water which
would only constitute a large lake on most larger planets. On Inghvernar's east coast is the Lubvenar Fossil Museum,
where travellers can discover the rich natural history of Mertactor through an exhilariting series of exhibits
and holodynamic displays.
Kaydah, the seat of government, features the impressive Mertactan Legislature Building (MLB). Constructed of reinforced
synthetic sandstone, this ivy-draped obelisk seems to thrust right out Mertactor's terrestrial crust and through
the planet's thick equatorial jungle as if it had been there since time immemorial. Standing atop Mount Aseldon,
the MLB looks over the busy streets of northern Kaydah like an alert sentry.
On the southern end of the city, is the Plankwell Subsector Capital Building. Though the Capital's architecture
is aesthetically pleasing with its sharp edges and metallic industrial styling, political representatives from
throughout the subsector complain about the dearth of office space in the building. The building was intended to
be much larger when the subsector capital was set to be on neighboring system, Collace. However, when the Mertactan
Chamberlords
successfully lobbied the Archduke to establish the capital on Mertactor, they immediately contracted a local architecture
firm to design the building. Due to the time constraints of the agreement, the job was rushed, with the result
being an attractive but largely inadequate building.
Despite the Mertactan historical animosity toward Mora, the native government is rather obviously influenced by
that of the domain capital. While not a matriarchy, women traditionally get preference for most cabinet posts and
tend to be elected to Chamberlord positions at a rate of just over 60 percent on Mertactor. The Chamberlords are
a select group of nine individuals, elected for lifelong terms by a subordinate network of sheriffs, who are popularly
elected by the rather disproportionately sized counties of Mertactor.
As befits any cosmopolitan world, the fashion and culture of Mertactor are heavily influenced by visiting merchants
and adventurers. "Anything goes," is the motto on Mertactor. One will find visiting travellers sporting
anything from traditional Vilani lagaash robes to the virtual nudity of Glistenite tailored vaccsuits. The jaded
Mertactans are nonchalant and accepting of such diversity.
Perhaps the most outstanding educational establishment on the planet is the Mertactor Mercantile Academy. While
the academy is on par with most other Regency educational facilities for the most part, its language department
is outstanding. Just about every language spoken within 80 parsecs is taught at the academy, including each and
every vargr language in the Extents. The academy emphasizes cultural behaviors and idiosynchrasies as well in order
to train the ambitious
merchant cadet for any eventuality.
Mertactan trading companies benefit from the presence of the academy. Some of the most finely trained merchant
personnel in the Regency can be found in Mertactan trading companies. Mertactan traders are known, however, to
be quite bloodthirsty in their competition for business insystem and will stop at nothing to obtain their goals.
The rather ineffectual law enforcement administrations of Mertactor are unable to prevent trading blocs and factions
from colluding, bribing, embezzling and on occasion shooting each other to death.
Within the last 80 years, the rimward encroachment of aslan ihatei has had an interesting effect on the mercantile
subculture. Disputes between trading companies are now frequently resolved by dueling. Unfortunately, the aslan
code of honor is absent in Mertactan dueling. Shooting or stabbing one's opponent in the back or poisoning his
food the evening before the duel is not uncommon.
Visiting free traders should not fear, however. Oddly enough, the virulence shown by one fellow Mertactan trader
to another is not extended to offworlders. It is thought that a general sense of pity for the poorly trained foreign
trader makes him unworthy of such treatment. The prevailing attitude is "if he's not Mertactan, he's no good
at trading anyway!" Though you'll never hear a Mertactan say this in public!
The Mertactan Free Trade Administration operates the planet's sole orbital starport and city. Built in 1004, FTA
Orbital was originally intended as a place where offworlders could comfortably trade without having to make planetfall.
The idea never took hold with visiting merchants, however. Declining public funds resulted in the government's
inability to properly maintain the facility. FTA Orbital quickly deteriorated into a D-level facility. Ironically,
trade traffic has actually increased over 300 percent at FTA Orbital since the decline. FTA Orbital now features
the most active black-market trade in the subsector.
To coin an ancient Terran metaphor, Mertactor has a Jekyll-and-Hyde culture. To offworlders and potential trading
partners, Mertactans are amiable and welcoming, while to one another they are the most vicious of opponents, professionally
speaking. While the divisiveness of Mertactan society may appear anarchic or perhaps downright hostile,
it is embraced by Mertactans as an integral part of their culture. To survive in a universe fraught with danger
and eception, Mertactans believe that "It is better to do unto others before they do unto you."
Orbit Name UPP Remarks
Primary Magnus G1 V
0 Bailiff Y200000-0 Va
1 Ring System YR00000-0 Va
25 Vaunt YS00000-0 Va
1 Wrankon YS00100-A Va
2 Gustavson G770360-A Sc
40 Danner Y300000-0 Va
3 Tyros Belt H000462-B Re Sc
4 Mertactor B262732-B S Cp
10 Hord GS00235-A Va
30 Skellor YS00000-0 Va
5 Pelloponeese Y600233-B Re Sc
6 Mauritius Y330000-0 Va
1 Ring System YR00000-0
6.9 Gwaynfjord G957562-B Re Sc
7 Calori Belt F000563-B Re Co Sc
7.3 Eldron G967363-A Sc
8 Wyndermere H667263-A Sc
8 Hoggoth H430160-A
9 Portcullis F303321-A Sc
The information for this page was originally written by Christopher Griffen for the RICE papers. Changes have been made based on minimum qualifications for a habitable planet.