AVONTAAL
Astrogation Data: Avontaal system, Diston sector, The Colonies region
Orbital Metrics: 310 days per year / 25 hours per day
Government: Imperial Governor (planetary), with elected municipal councils (local)
Population: 1 billion. 90% Human, 10% other
Languages: Basic
Terrain: Temperate to arctic. Plains/croplands, deciduous forests, salt oceans.
Major City: Avonn
Areas of Interest: Teal Seas, Trey Agriculture and Technology Studies College
Major Exports: Foodstuffs, agricultural tech, textiles
Major Imports: Other Technology
Trade Routes: Rimma Trade Route, via a spur of the Dentaal-Kital Phard offshoot
Special Conditions: Devastated by Base Delta Zero in 3 ABY
Background: Avontaal was one of the latest worlds on the region to be colonized, as the need for both more food production and living space became acute in that arc of The Colonies. Avontaal is relatively cool, so most of its crops are considered “fall or winter crops,” or cool climate cultivars of other plants, although less-hardy produce is grown in greenhouses or hydroponic units. In the centuries since, its food exports have not only increased but expanded from basic grains for ordinary beings to exotic hybrid fruits in demand for the tables of Moffs and Tapani Lords alike. A bright purple and very sweet meiloorun cultivar is the latest of these.
This was due in no small part to Hyvon and Alta Trey, philanthropists who founded and endowed the Agriculture and Technology Studies College (see below) that bears their name, in gratitude for the colonists’ aid. A few decades after the founding, the couple’s ship made an emergency landing after colliding with space debris, a pirate attack, or other more or less romantic-sounding incident, depending on which “historical” holo-drama you see.
Except for the capital city of Avonn, the planet is very rural with a number of small “counties” (actually small towns and the surrounding farms, vineyards, and ranches). These counties have their own elected councils that handle local concerns such as a hospital expansion or mediating property line disputes. Avontaal’s Imperial governor, Callas Stoke, up til recently has ignored “the peons’ trivia.” However this encouraged the peons to push back in ways that upset her Imperial overlords and they made clear that she had to put a stop to it. So far, there has been little organized resistance, mostly a few farmers selling extra produce or supplies without asking questions or keeping records, but that may change as Gov. Stoke has “taken an interest” in the larger and more fractious counties.
Now, Gov. Stoke will shut down any hint of rebellion hard–and not just because it threatens her cushy position in the New Order. Stoke and her administration are paid well by some criminal concerns who don’t want entanglements, Imperial or otherwise, to interfere with business. And canny Rebel cell leaders on other worlds have been known to expose other lawbreakers (who won’t work with them) to distract attention from Rebel projects…
Teal Seas: Located in the Oth-sak Subcontinent, this is actually an area of inland lakes with odd dissolved minerals, found nowhere else on Avontaal, as well as layers full of inert gases. Trey researchers run a pilot project to harvest those gases, some of which are valuable. There has been no effort to harvest the minerals, which are not worth enough to justify the cost. So the Lakes area will be left alone, unless something truly rare and exotic is found there.
Trey Agriculture and Technology Studies College (Treys’ College): In spite of its modest nickname, this institution is a small but respected university in The Colonies. Most of the students are from Avontaal or other parts of The Colonies who are studying some aspect of agriculture although most common degree programs (teaching, medtech, computers) are available since offworld higher education is out of reach for even most wealthy Avontaal families. Treys’ College, however, does offer a few advanced degrees, notably Agriculture Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine, both of which rank up there with larger programs in the Core and are the only ones with a significant number of non-regional students.
Design Notes: For my write-up of Rebel medic Mik-Los Arnet, I came up with a name and a couple details of his homeworld for the backstory. Now I present to you the full gazeteer entry for the planet, before it became the “beneficiary” of a Base Delta Zero Initiative. Undamaged, as is, Avontaal can be used for any SW scenario in any of the FFG SWRPG lines. In additional to a local Rebel cell (à la Rebels season one), it might be a good locale for a frontier-flavored campaign like those touted in Far Horizons. However, I leave it to my fellow Star Wars GMs to decide what is happening in the halls of Treys’ College (a portion of SW Legends’ Project Blackwing anyone?) or is sitting in the depths of a Teal Lake (maybe the Jedi had an underwater shrine or cache?). And the big question–what is Avontaal like after the Imperials get through “liberating” it?
Linda Whitson
Latest posts by Linda Whitson (see all)
- Astral Projections – The Ripperdoc Is In - May 8, 2023
As I said, I am leaving that up to individual GMs.
However, I do intend to do more Gazeteer entries.