The Cleaved Helm

Sacnoth Dominate Exploring Expeditions

"The watch was called by the officer of the deck, to be in readiness to execute such orders as might be necessary for the safety of the ship."^[ᛰ]
— Rear-Admiral Sharll Namsmann, Narrative of the
   Trailing Frontier Exploring Expedition, 25-29 D.E.

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Namsmann Expedition

The (First) Trailing Frontier Exploring Expedition — the "Namsmann Expedition" — leaves Biter on 14 Júlí 25 D.E. and returns four years later on 25 Ágúst 29 D.E., travelling trailward along the Trailing frontier main as far as Xochitl and Skræp (ten one-parsec jumps from Biter) in the Chrysaor cluster, exploring thirteen star systems and discovering the non-Human Sepirelding along the way.  This Sacnoth Dominate naval expedition is led by Kommandor Sharll Namsmann, who commanded the barque Vasen.  The other ships of the expedition are the brigantine Påfugel, commanded by Løjtnant Vilhelm Abbasson, the auxiliary ship Lettelse, commanded by Fänrik Anders Lange, the cutter Marsvin, commanded by Løjtnant Hilmar Guldring, and the sloops Havmåge, commanded by Fänrik Samuel Zhifangsson, and Flyvendefisk, commanded by Fänrik Jakob Rødhåret.

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

Namsmann Expedition Course (Modified from The Traveller Map)

Depart Biter, 14 Júlí 25 D.E.

Worlds visited:
• Lodestone, 25 D.E. (07-08)
• Bergsrå, 25 D.E. (09-10)
• Dragvendel, 25 D.E. (11)
• Sepireld, 25 D.E. (12-04)
• Dragvendel (2nd), 26 D.E. (05)
• Zhenya, 26 D.E. (06-07)
• Albattar, 26 D.E. (08-09)
• Yanick, 26 D.E. (10-11)
• Halef, 26 D.E. (12-01)
• Lævateinn, 27 D.E. (02-04)
• Chrysaor, 27 D.E. (05-06)
• Xochitl, 27 D.E. (07-10)
• Skræp, 27 D.E. (11-02)
• Chrysaor (2nd), 28 D.E. (03)
• Schritt, 28 D.E. (04-06)
• Halef (2nd), 28 D.E. (07)
• Yanick (2nd), 28 D.E. (08)
• Albattar (2nd), 28 D.E. (09)
• Zhenya (2nd), 28 D.E. (10)
• Dragvendel (3rd), 28 D.E. (11)
• Sepireld (2nd), 28 D.E. (12-04)
• Dragvendel (4th), 29 D.E. (05)
• Bergsrå (2nd), 29 D.E. (06)
• Lodestone (2nd), 29 D.E. (07)

Return Biter, 25 Ágúst 29 D.E.

Worlds Surveyed

Barque Vasen

Barque Vasen[ᚠ]

The Vasen is a Surtur-class barque.  The ship has acccommodations for 25 crew and 20 passengers with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms, double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers and no low berths.  The ship carries two pinnaces (50-ton small craft), two all-terrain vehicles and one air/raft.  It is armed with triple 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 (Kommandor Namsmann), pilot (småbetjent), navigator/chief gunner (fänrik, chief engineer (fänrik) and senior medic (småbetjent), one signals/detection officer (småbetjent), three engineers (bådsmand, rummænd), seven gunners (småbetjent, bådsmænd, rummænd), two pinnace pilots (bådsmænd), two pinnace gunners (rummænd), two medics (småbetjent, bådsmand), three yeomen — one adminisration, two operations (rummænd), and twenty scientific corps members (seven geoscientists, seven ecologists, four astrophysicists, one sophontologist and one archivist).

Generally, the Vasen is responsible for planetary landings (or planetoid belt or gas giant moon surveys when a system does not have a main world).  The ship's pinnaces enable its scientific corps complement to reach a world's surface.  The majority of Vasen's scientific corps is comprised of the geoscientists and ecologists most suited to world surveys.  Scientific corps members are also frequently exchanged among the ships of the Expedition so that those with the appropriate skills are available in the locations where those skills would be most useful.

Brigantine Påfugel

Brigantine Påfugel[ᚢ]

The Påfugel is a Rykke-class brigantine.  The ship has accommodations for 20 crew with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms (the medic's also serving as sickbay), double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and no low berths.  The ship carries one pinnace (40-ton small craft).  It is armed with triple pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined, armored ship also has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Løjtnant Abbasson), pilot (småbetjent), chief engineer (fänrik) and ship's medic (småbetjent), one signals/detection officer (småbetjent), six gunners (fänrik, småbetjent, bådsmænd, rummænd), four engineers (småbetjent, bådsmand, rummænd), one pinnace pilot (bådsmand), one pinnace gunner (rummand), one medic's mate (rummand) and two yeomen — one administration, one operations (rummænd).

The principal role of Påfugel 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, Påfugel often surveys a secondary gas giant or an interesting secondary world.  Påfugel 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.

Auxiliary Lettelse

Auxiliary ship Lettelse[ᚦ]

The Lettelse is a Reservere-class auxiliary.  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 Lange), pilot (bådsmand), ship's gunner (småbetjent), two gunner's mates (rummænd), ship's engineer (småbetjent), two engineers (bådsmænd), 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 Lettelse 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 Lettelse's engineers are responsible for Expedition ship maintenance).  Lettelse's fuel purification plant processes unrefined fuel for other Expedition ships and Lettelse itself can be used as a fuel tanker in extreme circumstances, though its ordinary cargo must be off-loaded in such situations.  Lettelse must use its pinnace to deliver its scientific corps to a world's surface.  The corps complement, though slightly smaller, is similar in composition to that of Vasen.

Cutter Marsvin

Cutter Marsvin[ᚨ]

The Marsvin is a Pilothval-class cutter.  The ship has accommodations for seven crew with a single-occupancy stateroom, double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and no low berths.  Marsvin carries one air/raft and is armed with two triple pulse laser turrets.  The streamlined, armored ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander (Løjtnant Guldring), pilot (småbetjent), ship's engineer (småbetjent), navigator (bådsmand), two gunner's mates (rummand) and medic's mate (rummand).

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

Sloop Havmåge

Sloop Havmåge[ᚱ]

The Havmåge is a Vardøhus-class sloop.  The ship has accommodations for four crew and three passengers (with a single-occupancy stateroom for the ship commander and double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and the passengers) and no low berths.  Havmåge 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 Zhifangsson), navigator/gunner (småbetjent), engineer (bådsmand) and medic's mate (rummand), and three scientific corps members (three astrophysicists).

Havmåge supports Påfugel and Marsvin in the Expedition security role.  Like Påfugel and Marsvin, in situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Havmåge often surveys a secondary gas giant, an interesting secondary world or a planetoid belt.  Havmåge 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.

Sloop Flyvendefisk

Sloop Flyvendefisk[ᚱ]

The Flyvendefisk is a Vardøhus-class sloop.  The ship has accommodations for four crew and three passengers (with a single-occupancy stateroom for the ship commander and double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and the passengers) and no low berths.  Flyvendefisk 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 Rødhåret), navigator/gunner (småbetjent), engineer (bådsmand) and medic's mate (rummand), and three scientific corps members (three astrophysicists).

Flyvendefisk supports Påfugel and Marsvin in the Expedition security role.  Like Påfugel and Marsvin, in situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Flyvendefisk often surveys a secondary gas giant, an interesting secondary world or a planetoid belt.  Flyvendefisk 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.

Notes:
^[ᛰ] Inspired by the "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842" by Charles Wilkes, 26 December 1839.

Image credits:
^[ᚠ] Original illustration by Jennel Jaquays (of Broadsword-class mercenary cruiser) which originally appeared in the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society #8.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚢ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Endeavor-class patrol ship) which originally appeared in Adventure Class Ships, Volume II.  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 William H. Keith, Jr. (of Stayaow-class combat scout) which originally appeared in Adventure Class Ships, Volume II.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚱ] 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.

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