The Cleaved Helm

Sacnoth Dominate Exploring Expeditions

"The world we have named Hoding is more arid than Terra and its atmosphere is somewhat more dense, but it is the most Terra-like world to have been discovered in the Rim frontier."
— Kaptajn Veit Damsgaard, Commander's Log, 27 Janúar 31 D.E.

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Damsgaard Expedition

The Second Rim Frontier Exploring Expedition — the "Damsgaard Expedition" — leaves Biter on 23 Júlí 29 D.E. and returns three years later on 14 September 32 D.E., travelling rimward along the rimward trace of the Pilgrim frontier main as far as Lydia (ten one-parsec jumps from Biter) in the Hoding cluster, exploring fifteen star systems, including two port calls at Caladbolg.  This Sacnoth Dominate naval expedition is led by Kaptajn Veit Damsgaard, who commands the frigate Grjónagull.  The other ships of the expedition are the cutter Helgensværd, commanded by Løjtnant Aleksei Basovsson, the auxiliary ship Øststjerne, commanded by Fänrik Andrian Nathaliesson, the auxiliary ship Sanjō, commanded by Fänrik Kereta Yangsson, and the sloop Johanne, commanded by Fänrik Emilie Stephansdottir.

The expedition includes a "scientific corps" of civilians, a diverse collection of astrophysicists, ecologists and geoscientists and a handful of sophontologists and archivists who assist in surveying planetary systems and their worlds, identfying valuable mineral resources and local flora and fauna with potential agricultural uses, and cataloguing information for potential future exploitation efforts.

Expedition Course

Damsgaard Expedition Course (Modified from The Traveller Map)

Depart Biter, 23 Júlí 29 D.E.

Worlds visited:
• Lodestone, 29 D.E. (08)
• Nyord, 29 D.E. (09-10)
• Vanaheim, 29 D.E. (11-12)
• Nidhog, 30 D.E. (01-02)
• Mithril, 30 D.E. (03-04)
• Igliim, 30 D.E. (05-06)
• Skofnung, 30 D.E. (07)
• Caladbolg, 30 D.E. (08-09)
• Skofnung (2nd), 30 D.E. (10)
• Caliburn, 30 D.E. (11-12)
• Hoding, 31 D.E. (01)
• Sauvagine, 31 D.E. (02)
• Graban, 31 D.E. (03-04)
• Sauvagine (2nd), 31 D.E. (05)
• Mistelten, 31 D.E. (06)
• Lydia, 31 D.E. (07-08)
• Mistelten (2nd), 31 D.E. (09)
• Elisabet, 31 D.E. (10-11)
• Hoding (2nd), 31 D.E. (12)
• Caliburn (2nd), 32 D.E. (01)
• Skofnung (3rd), 32 D.E. (02)
• Caladbolg (2nd), 32 D.E. (03)
• Skofnung (4th), 32 D.E. (04)
• Igliim (2nd), 32 D.E. (05)
• Mithril (2nd), 32 D.E. (06)
• Nyord (2nd), 32 D.E. (07)
• Lodestone (2nd), 32 D.E. (08)

Return Biter, 14 September 32 D.E.

Worlds Surveyed

Frigate Grjónagull

Frigate Grjónagull[ᚠ]

The Grjónagull is a Krýsantemum-class frigate.  The ship has acccommodations for sixteen crew with single-occupancy staterooms for senior officers and double-occupancy staterooms for junior officers and ratings.  The ship carries one pinnace (50-ton small craft).  It is armed with two triple missile turrets, one dual missile turret and two single particle accelerator turrets.  The partially-streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander (Kaptajn Damsgaard), pilot (fänrik), navigator/chief gunner (løjtnant), chief engineer (fänrik), senior medic (fänrik) and one signals/detection officer (fänrik), two engineers (bådsmand, rummand), five gunners (småbetjent, bådsmands, rummands), one pinnace pilot (bådsmand), one pinnace gunner (rummand) and one medic (småbetjent).

The principal role of Grjónagull is Expedition security.  The ship assumes the traditional high guard position when the other ships of the Expedition are refueling.  In situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Grjónagull often surveys a secondary gas giant or an interesting secondary world.  Grjónagull carries no scientific corps complement — its crew of naval personnel is nevertheless well-suited to orbital surveying — but the ship's pinnace is often used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition.

Cutter Helgensværd

Cutter Helgensværd[ᚱ]

The Helgensværd is a Vethrfölnir-class cutter.  The ship has accommodations for twelve crew with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms, double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and no low berths.  Helgensværd carries one launch (20-ton small craft).  It is armed with triple pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined, armored ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Løjtnant Basovsson), pilot (småbetjent), chief gunner (fänrik) and ship's medic (bådsmand), and one gunner (bådsmand), two gunner's mates (rummands), two engineers (bådsmands), two engineer's mates (rummands) and one launch pilot (bådsmand).

Helgensværd supports Grjónagull in the Expedition security role, including performing the high guard function when Grjónagull is refueling.  In situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Helgensværd often surveys a secondary gas giant or an interesting secondary world.  Helgensværd also carries no scientific corps complement but its crew of naval personnel is similarly well-suited to orbital surveying.  The ship's launch is also often used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition.

Auxiliary Øststjerne

Auxiliary ship Øststjerne[ᚦ]

The Øststjerne is a Reservere-class freighter.  The ship has accommodations for ten crew and sixteen passengers with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms and double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers.  The ship's original low berths have been converted into a sickbay and laboratory and specimen storage for the scientific corps.  The ship has extensive cargo space which can also be used as surplus fuel tankage.  The ship carries one pinnace (40-ton small craft) and is armed with single pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Fänrik Nathaliesson), pilot (bådsmand), ship's gunner (småbetjent), two gunner's mates (rummands), ship's engineer (småbetjent), two engineers (bådsmands), ship's medic (bådsmand) and boat pilot (bådsmand) and sixteen scientific corps members (five geoscientists, five ecologists, four astrophysicists, one sophontologist and one archivist).

The principal role of Øststjerne is Expedition support.  The ship carries extensive supplies in its cargo holds, including spare components for critical systems of the ships of the Expedition (two of Øststjerne's engineers are responsible for Expedition ship maintenance).  Øststjerne's fuel purification plant processes unrefined fuel for other Expedition ships and Øststjerne itself can be used as a fuel tanker in extreme circumstances, though its ordinary cargo must be off-loaded in such situations.  Øststjerne must use its pinnace to deliver its scientific corps to a world's surface.

Auxiliary Sanjō

Auxiliary ship Sanjō[ᚨ]

The Sanjō is a Shuinsen-class merchant.  The ship has accommodations for nine crew and twelve passengers with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms and double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers.  (The ship's original low berths have been converted into a sickbay and laboratory for the scientific corps.)  The ship has extensive cargo space which can also be used as surplus fuel tankage.  The ship carries one launch (20-ton small craft) and is armed with single pulse laser turrets.  The streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Fänrik Yangsson), pilot (småbetjent), gunner (bådsmand), ship's engineer (småbetjent), two engineers (bådsmands), medic's mate (rummand), gunner's mate (rummand) and boat pilot (bådsmand) and twleve scientific corps members (four geoscientists, four ecologists, two astrophysicists, one sophontologist and one archivist).

The principal role of Sanjō is Expedition support.  The ship carries extensive supplies in its cargo holds, including spare components for critical systems of the ships of the Expedition (two of Sanjō's engineers are responsible for Expedition ship maintenance).  Sanjō's fuel purification plant processes unrefined fuel for other Expedition ships and Sanjō itself can be used as a fuel tanker in extreme circumstances, though its ordinary cargo must be off-loaded in such situations.  Sanjō is able to deliver its scientific corps directly to a world's surface and for this reason the corps complement, though slightly smaller, is similar in composition to that of Øststjerne.

Sloop Johanne

Sloop Johanne[ᚲ]

The Johanne is a Vardøhus-class sloop.  The ship has accommodations for four crew and three passengers with a single-occupancy stateroom, double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and the passengers and no low berths.  Johanne carries one air/raft and is armed with a double pulse laser turret.  The streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/pilot (Fänrik Stephansdottir), navigator/gunner (småbetjent), engineer (bådsmand) and medic's mate (rummand), and three scientific corps members (three astrophysicists).

Johanne supports Grjónagull and Helgensværd in the Expedition security role.  Like Helgensværd, in situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Johanne often surveys a secondary gas giant, an interesting secondary world or a planetoid belt.  Johanne carries a small scientific corps complement which is adept at orbital surveying.  The ship also can be used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition or to a world's surface.

Image credits:
^[ᚠ] Original illustration by Jennel Jaquays (of Chrysanthemum-class destroyer escort) which originally appeared in Supplement 9: Fighting Ships.  No endorsement of The Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚦ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Type-MH merchant) which originally appeared in Adventure Class Ships, Volume I.  No endorsement of The Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚨ] Original illustration by uncredited artist (of a 400-ton "Girl" class merchant) which originally appeared in "Ships of the Imperium" in Gryphon #4, p. 29.  No endorsement of The Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚱ] Original illustration by Jennel Jaquays (of Gazelle-class close escort) which originally appeared in Supplement 9: Fighting Ships.  No endorsement of The Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚲ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Type-S scout/couriert) which originally appeared in Supplement 7: Traders and Gunboats.  No endorsement of The Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚡ] Unless otherwise indicated, the UWP values for Size, Atmosphere and Hydrosphere are those from the Traveller⁵ Second Survey as reported in The Spinward Marches: Second Survey (2016).
^[ᚢ] This field shows the six Trade Classifications originally identified in the first edition (1977) of Book 2: Starships (p. 43): Agricultural (Ag), Non-agricultural (Na), Industrial (In), Non-industrial (Ni), Rich (Ri) and Poor (Po).  (These Trade Classifications did not appear in the first edition (1977) of Book 3: Worlds and Adventures.)
^[ᚣ] This field shows the balance of "Trade Classifications" and "Remarks" identified in the Traveller⁵ Second Survey, including the additions of Water World (Wa), Desert World (De), Vacuum World (Va), Asteroid Belt (As), Ice-capped World (Ic) and Capital World (Cp) which first appeared in the second edition (1981) of Book 3: Worlds and Adventures (p. 16), and of Barren World (Ba), Fluid World (Fl), High-population World (Hi) and Low-population World (Lo) which first appeared in the MegaTraveller Referee's Manual (pp. 48, 50).

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