Third Imperium and Traveller Lore

[Knightgoblin]

Hi friends, I am new to Traveller and know very little about it's lore. Currently I am GMing Traveller 2e and I am interested reading about the Third Imperium. What's is it's history and what is culture and government structure like? Do you recommend any books

[MyndkryM]

The Traveller Wiki would be a good start

https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Main_Page

And don't forget the Traveller Map

https://travellermap.com/

The Traveller Companion has a really good write up on using the Traveller Map, and it's probably one of the best resource tools any RPG has ever had produced.

[Knightgoblin]

I’ll look into this. Thank you!

[Ursus Maior]

Hi, nice to see you're getting into it and want to know more about the 3I. A lot of Traveller lore has existed for decades, making many "facts" having been published over and over again and over a wide range of publishers. The important stuff has already been republished by Mongoose for their current second edition. Apart from the core rulebook, a lot of important stuff is present in the new Spinward Marches book, which also covers the neighbouring Deneb sector, and in the excellent Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society. The latter consists of six volumes, each with around twenty articles on topics from all across the game: background, tech, adventures etc.

The really hard facts have not been republished however and currently 1st edition ebooks might be your good friends here: Library Data, Solomani Rim, Alien Module 4: Zhodani (soon to be revised for the current edition) or Secrets of the Ancients, to name a few. Books from former or bygone publishers (mostly GDW and GURPS) are still recommendable as well, though mileage may vary.

For now and to safe money and time to read, I definitely recommend the Traveller-Wiki plus one of the newer sector specific publications: Behind the Claw, about the Spinward Marches and Deneb or Pirates of Drinax. The former is "just" a sandbox setting, the latter comes complete with a campaign and ongoing support, making the full package more expensive. Both are supported by a publishing line of seperate adventures.

[Sigtrygg]

A brief Imperial setting history.
300,000 years ago a mysterious race of advanced aliens visited Earth. They took humans as pets/slaves/servants/co-workers, they also uplifted wolves to intelligence and used them as pets/slaves/servants/co-workers.
Some of these humans and uplifted wolves were transported to distant worlds within out galaxy.

The ancient alien race disappeared, leaving evidence of a massive conflict.

Far off in the galaxy on a world called Vland in the year 4717BC on the Earth calendar the Vilani discovered the jump drive and began exploring and colonising. They encountered alien races and other transplanted human races. In 882BC the Vilani began a series of wars that would lead to the foundation of the Imperium in 473AD.

The Vilani Imperium slowly expanded but stagnated technologically.

In 2087AD the jump drive was invented by Earth, in 2096AD humans from Earth run into humans of the Imperium, war follows. A series of interstellar wars last until 2299AD and result in victory for the Terran forces. In 2314AD a Terran human is elevated to the position of Emperor of the Imperium - this is sometimes called the second Imperium or alternatively the Rule of Man. In 2742AD the Rule of Man finally collapses and interstellar trade ceases, an era called the Long Night affects the worlds of the Imperium.

In the year 3868AD on the former Imperial world of Sylea a federation is incorporated which has the economic and technological might to begin expansion and trade with its neighbouring worlds. In 4518AD Cleon is elevated to the position of Emperor of the newly incorporated Imperium, tracing his lineage back through Terran rulers during the RoM right back to the First Imperium. This is year 0 of the Imperium, or Third Imperium.

It is now 1005 as the Imperium denotes time, or 5623AD on the Terran calendar...

The lmperium is a strong interstellar government encompassing 281 subsectors and approximately 11,000 worlds. Approximately 1100 years old, it is the third human empire to control this area, the oldest, and the strongest. Nevertheless, it is under strong pressure from i s neighbouring interstellar governments, and does not have the strength nor the power which it once had.

[Reynard]

Then they had a war then another and another and another and another then a civil war that breaks up the Imperium then the time stream splits leaving either a Virus ravaged galaxy followed by a rebuilding or paradise.

I've been following Traveller for four decades and realize there is SO much still unknown and untouched.

[Condottiere]

Toned down Warhammer Forty Kay.

[paltrysum]

Hi friends, I am new to Traveller and know very little about it's lore. Currently I am GMing Traveller 2e and I am interested reading about the Third Imperium. What's is it's history and what is culture and government structure like? Do you recommend any books

This question comes up from time to time and surprisingly enough, after all these years, Third Imperium lore is not really documented in any one place all that clearly. You kind of have to dig it up from multiple books. It's not on the https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/us/releaseschedule yet, but Mongoose has a little something special cooked up that will answer these questions. It's called The Third Imperium and not only will it give you the entire history—in more detail than you've ever seen before—in one big book, it will also detail Core Sector in 1105. Expect the full announcement soon!

[EwanS]

Hi friends, I am new to Traveller and know very little about it's lore. Currently I am GMing Traveller 2e and I am interested reading about the Third Imperium. What's is it's history and what is culture and government structure like? Do you recommend any books

This question comes up from time to time and surprisingly enough, after all these years, Third Imperium lore is not really documented in any one place all that clearly. You kind of have to dig it up from multiple books. It's not on the https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/us/releaseschedule yet, but Mongoose has a little something special cooked up that will answer these questions. It's called The Third Imperium and not only will it give you the entire history—in more detail than you've ever seen before—in one big book, it will also detail Core Sector in 1105. Expect the full announcement soon!

Ewan does happy dance re Core Sector book. hopefully it will have enough Imperial political shenanigans to last a lifetime.

[Subzero001]

What is your best guesstimate for timing of this new "Core Sector history book"? Will it just be core 3I or a more broad based book do you think?

[MongooseMatt]

What is your best guesstimate for timing of this new "Core Sector history book"? Will it just be core 3I or a more broad based book do you think?

More news on this later, but editing of the manuscript will begin (very late) this year, so expect to see something around Q2-ish next year?

Following that, all going well, expect to see one of these mighty tomes for each major empire in Charted Space (that will take a bit longer, and the Aliens of Charted Space books need to come out first - and those are being worked on right now!).

[Knightgoblin]

Definitely looking forward to The Third Imperium!