Far Trader Issue #1 - the new Traveller Comic!

[J Harper]

Is this available at comic shops?

 

[paltrysum]

Is this available at comic shops?

It will be eventually. For now, it is available direct from the publisher, Markosia.com, and hopefully Amazon at some point.

 

[Seffix]

I think I have see Markosia in Previews (the catalog of the main comic book distributor in the US), but I'll be adding this on with my Adventure Class Ships order.

 

[Geir]

Got mine in the mail already, so it was worth cancelling the 'we don't know when' Amazon order and getting it direct. Now, I just need to wait for the next installment....

 

[paltrysum]

It will be a bit of a wait for #2, but #3-4 should come quickly on its heels.

 

[Lurking Grue]

Good news for Drivethru customers. I contacted Markosia and they promised to update the Drivethru version to a higher resolution ASAP.

 

[Evil Aardvark]

Good news for Drivethru customers. I contacted Markosia and they promised to update the Drivethru version to a higher resolution ASAP.

A new, much better, version is up now.

 

[CordwainerFish]

And my copy just arrived! Direct via Royal Mail, bypassing Tennessee.

 

[MonkeyX]

If anyone is interested I did a review of the book on YouTube.

 

[JoeKundlak]

This is a nice addition to the Traveller universe! Good writing, decent graphics, bordering on great, good story... and we need to wait for the second (and subsequent) parts. Great one, keep at it!

 

[Marc]

There's some in-joke subtlety here about Paya with Pop 2 having a class A starport that I found pretty funny,

So, here's the GDW OTU sich with Paya.
In 1075 Imperial, the world of Paya was hit by an asteroid.
Much of the population fled the world while a number of "The Faithful" remained.
Following the impact, those on-world who survived the impact formed a new government and refused any of the citizens who fled re-entry to the world.

Added to that, The Imperial Navy had always wanted to put a naval base there, and had been blocked by the previous Payan world government.
So, when the Navy showed up asking permission from the new government, they said yes...."if"
The if's were:
1) To build them a highly automated A Class port
2) To help them prevent any of the outcast citizens from returning.

OTU News items included significant attempts to raise money so the PGIE-Payan government in exile(mostly active in the Regina system) could hire mercenaries to force their way back into their home system.
Despite significant sympathy for them, the Imperial Navy has so far prevented them returning and prevented the various situations created by the PGIE from breaking out into firefights and major losses of life.

That's what I've gleaned from GDW, DGP and other GDW-licensed items

I have also made use of it IMTU as background news and events with which my players have not yet gotten involved in.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Ahh yes, Paya.

The sex slave capital of the Marches.

Not to mention the sizable Oberlindes presence.

 

[Condottiere]

You need some gimmick to attract the tourists and put bums on seats.

 

[Marc]

Ahh yes, Paya.

The sex slave capital of the Marches.

What?
Where did that come from?
Based on my understanding of the OTU and Paya, the agreements between the "recognized" citizens of Pay and the imperial Government guarantee each of those citizens are "well compensated" for the right to plant an Imperial base there.

Not to mention, that each of them wears at least one hat within the system government.

So, I'm curious what information source you got that from?

 

[Marc]

FYI, I also reached out to Markosia and got this back

[Quote:]
Hi Marc

Many thanks for reaching out.
Issue 2 is currently in production and we hope it will be released in early 2024. We are also in production with two further series so by Spring next
year there will be plenty to choose from!
Regards
Harry

[Unquote]

When I asked to confirm, Harry stated the "two further series" will be two additional Traveller RPG based storylines

 

[ottarrus]

What?
Where did that come from?
Based on my understanding of the OTU and Paya, the agreements between the "recognized" citizens of Pay and the imperial Government guarantee each of those citizens are "well compensated" for the right to plant an Imperial base there.

Not to mention, that each of them wears at least one hat within the system government.

So, I'm curious what information source you got that from?

That's from The Traveller Adventure... there's a Patron encounter with one of the Chosen of Paya wherein a young woman [not in the Chosen cult] was paid to be a surrogate for one the rich eccentric Chosen. She find out that the surrogacy is for multiple children over several years and she wants out of the contract. She asks the PCs for help.

 

[Marc]

That's from The Traveller Adventure... there's a Patron encounter with one of the Chosen of Paya wherein a young woman [not in the Chosen cult] was paid to be a surrogate for one the rich eccentric Chosen. She find out that the surrogacy is for multiple children over several years and she wants out of the contract. She asks the PCs for help.

I see.
I must have missed that.
Still, the way I read what you've wrote, this is not actual slavery in as much as it is the unethical and immoral writing of a contract in such a way as to force the woman into a form of sexual slavery.

I also read it as the unfortunate failure of ethics and morality on one person's part rather than suggesting the entire world should be labeled that way.

But I will check the original, to educate myself and insure I understand it correctly

 

[Marc]

Ahh yes, Paya.

The sex slave capital of the Marches

Thank you!
I missed that whole section, concentrating on the whole "building his own personal city" thing...

I see you are essentially correct such a definition can apply

Certain particular areas of conflict may arise. One of these is Celia. The Payans. whose central tenet is the superiority of their gene pool, have made "be fruitful and multiply"' a key part of their lives; however, Payan women, at work building the new Paya, have neither the time nor the inclination

for the disabilities of pregnancy, The solution is the hiring of thousands of host mothers from offworld. Celia is a young miner" daughter from Feneteman who was attracted by the offer of high pay for little effort, and signed a five-year contract to bear five of Lana's children. Unfortunately, she failed to note another duty of a Payan host mother, which is to serve as a concubine to her client's male relatives:
[Unquote]


Still, your interpretation is off compared to mine.

As I see it, the Payans are working to rebuild their population. In many science fiction universes, such societies have taken steps like out-lawing the ability for women to work outside child bearing/rearing at all.

In the case of Paya, the piece "does state" that there was a clause in the contract openly stating she would "as a concubine to her client's male relatives". the piece also says she has three years left on a five year contract, so this is not about the number of births

It clearly says she is willing to serve her contracted boss.....just, not all his male relatives....

So, while the importing of Host Mothers is a label that could lead to "Prostitution Capital", the contract is clear and open.....so, this is not a case of slavery

Too bad, actually. Because all the PC's IMTU are Imperial Knights. And discovering an under-cover global sex slave trade would be a hell of an adventure to stick them with {Evil GM laughter}

 

[Marc]

PS...I don't know why the above post is misformatted as quoting the bottom part