Pre-Game Connections-Background

Nov 25, 2025 5:35 pm
Pre-Game Connections & Background Thread

This thread is for establishing shared background connections between player characters before the campaign begins.
Mongoose Traveller 2e includes the Connections Rule, and I want to ensure that Classic Traveller characters can fully participate as well.

Use this space to discuss who knows whom, how you met, what events bind you together, and how your shared history shapes the party.
How This Thread Works

Use this thread to:
    []Discuss where your Travellers may have crossed paths
    []Link a Mongoose Traveller Event result with another character
    []Build a shared history: missions, service, misfortunes, victories, rivals, homeworld ties, etc.
    []Work out timelines and terms
    []Keep track of your possible skill benefits
    []Let Classic Traveller PCs gain the same connection-based benefits

The Connections Rule (Player Summary)

If two players agree that an Event from one Traveller’s history involved the other Traveller, then:

→ Both Travellers gain one free skill of their choice.

You may gain:
    []A maximum of two free skills total
    []Each connection must be with a different Traveller

Restrictions:
    []You cannot raise a skill above Level 3 using this rule
    []You cannot select Jack-of-all-Trades
    [] * Players using Classic Traveller characters may take these connection skills as normal to keep parity with MgT2e builds

Why We’re Doing This

One of the strengths of the Mongoose system is that the party does not begin as total strangers meeting at a generic starport bar.

For this campaign, the premise is:
[center]Your Travellers already know each other—through service, shared missions, homeworld ties, or mutual trouble.[/center]

This thread helps you:
    []Build that shared history
    []Establish reasons for trust, tension, or obligation
    []Create hooks that tie directly into the Marinagua storyline
    []Give everyone a more grounded start from day one

How to Begin

When posting, feel free to share:
    []Your Traveller’s name, background, and career path
    []Key Events you want to link
    []Suggestions for shared experiences
    []Invitations for others to form a Connection

Once two players agree on a Connection:
    []Describe what actually happened between your characters
    []Both choose a free skill (respecting the limits)

Start Posting Anytime

Introduce your Traveller, propose a few connection ideas, and let’s build the web of relationships that brings our Marinagua crew together.

Have fun, collaborate, and create something memorable!
Nov 29, 2025 7:48 pm
Hi there.

My character (J. E. E. Montgomery) is an army type professional soldier.
He served in a peacekeeping function, then was garrisoned on an urban plant and finally got involveld in a nasty guerilly warfare on a third term.

For connections, I see the possibility of military service (even of different sides), interaction with civilian needs or even meetings by chance while travelling or in free time.
Nov 29, 2025 10:51 pm
Greetings all!

Chaala Angushlii thinks of herself as a career Scout, though officially she's been on detached duty for the last decade since she returned to base a few months late and without her ship or crew. During that time she's been doing a lot of work on the ground attached to Navy Intelligence and an earlier stint with Ironhand. She did intelligence work during the war.

During her involuntary walkabout she could have met just about anyone as she worked her way across the Marches back to her base. More recently she could have met anyone involved in covert or overt military action or logistics for the war.
Nov 30, 2025 10:56 pm
Hi all.

Virel Kilmire started out as an idealistic diplomat wanting to bring cultures together, but he was quickly corrupted by the system and fell into the dark arts of diplomacy, his first few terms involved interrogation and forgery. Therefore, I could easily see him having met someone involved with Navy Intelligence, though this part of his career he would sooner forget than remember.

It is also possible that he grew up with any of the other characters, who would now find Virel completely changed from his youth.
Nov 30, 2025 11:41 pm
Chaala is a bit old to have grown up with Virel, but crossing over in intelligence works. And if it's a part of Virel's life where he wasn't happy, maybe Chaala recognized that, while he was a competent asset, he was in a bad place. Maybe she saw burnout or a risk of being turned because he was unhappy, but she took him into her team and made things more pleasant until she could get him reassigned to something more to his liking.
Dec 1, 2025 8:38 pm
I guess, my character would profit from the military options Chaala offers; different perspectives, different processes
Dec 2, 2025 12:48 am
Bullseyepsa says:
Chaala is a bit old to have grown up with Virel, but crossing over in intelligence works. And if it's a part of Virel's life where he wasn't happy, maybe Chaala recognized that, while he was a competent asset, he was in a bad place. Maybe she saw burnout or a risk of being turned because he was unhappy, but she took him into her team and made things more pleasant until she could get him reassigned to something more to his liking.
It was around 15–20 years ago when Virel was introduced to the darker arts of diplomacy. At the time, he was just starting out in his career and took it for the norm. Perhaps he and Chaala crossed paths then, and kept in touch over the years. Chaala may have heard about Virel’s dismissal from the service and suggested this direction. As for the dismissal, some action had gone very south, and the Imperium needed a fall guy. Given what Virel had been up to previously, they had enough dirt on him to know they could throw him under the bus and he wouldn’t be able to complain.

If they had known each other this long Chaala would have seen how Jirel got jaded over the years and come to regret the decisions of the past.
Dec 2, 2025 1:31 am
15-20 years ago, Chaala was still with the Scouts formally and did courier duty, so definitely could have worked with a "diplomatic" mission. Crossing paths again later in life they can both see how the other's life had changed (Chaala attached to Naval Intelligence and not operating with nearly the looseness of the Scout Survey teams).
Dec 2, 2025 1:37 am
@Dominic Looks like Montgomery is an Army vet with front line experience in the FFW. Could have met while Chaala was doing behind the lines work. Could be she pulled in some intel that saved his unit or that his unit extracted her from a tough spot.
Dec 2, 2025 2:59 am
This is all very good in my humble view.
🧭 CURRENT CONNECTION SUMMARY

Chaala Angushlii (Scout / Naval Intelligence)
• Served with Navy Intelligence and previously with Ironhand.
• Crossed paths with Virel during a diplomatic/intel mission 15–20 years ago; recognized his burnout and helped quietly redirect his assignment.
• Likely intersected with Montgomery during FFW operations — either saving his unit with intel or being extracted by it.
• Shares intelligence-operations history with Bohdie, possibly assisting in cover transitions or exfil support during one of his deep-cover missions.

Virel Kilmire (Diplomat / Ex-Intel)
• Former interrogator/forger who saw the darker side of diplomacy; met Chaala early in his career through Navy Intel/Scout ties.
• Was scapegoated after an operation collapsed; Chaala likely heard first-hand.
• Shares unspoken professional similarities with Bohdie, recognizing another veteran of covert identities and bureaucratic betrayal.

J.E.E. Montgomery (Army Veteran)
• Frontline soldier with peacekeeping, garrison, and guerilla combat experience.
• Wartime connection with Chaala from the Fifth Frontier War.
• Shared operational footprint with Bohdie during FFW — possible recon support, extraction, or overlapping battlespace.
• Indirectly aware of Virel’s fall from service via rumor networks.

Takanamè "Bohdie" Hokuanokada (Marine-Agent / Ex-Scout)
• Darrian–Human Marine who became a deep-cover Intelligence Agent for 12 years.
• Likely collaborated with Chaala during intel operations, exfil planning, or debrief cycles.
• Shares combat-space and mutual respect with Montgomery from the FFW.
• Recognizes Virel as someone who survived the same bureaucratic machinery that eventually pushed Bohdie out.
• Drifted aimlessly after returning home, until an Ironhand recruitment flyer (found by a friend) gave him the push to sign on.

Group Ties:
• All four characters share ties to Imperial military or intelligence structures (Scouts, Navy Intel, Army, Marines, Ironhand).
• All have been shaped by the Frontier Wars and covert operations.
• Each has lived through institutional betrayal, burnout, or the aftermath of deep service.
• Their shared history creates a natural, believable bond as the Marinagua crew forms.

I am only conjecturing based on what is written and any players can make a change to this.
Dec 5, 2025 4:53 pm
Hello everyone, Dr. Victor Shone had passed university education with honors in medical science and got his license as a well-known physician. He was versed in both human and alien anatomy, and he utilized his work experience and knowledge in designing better treatment methodologies. Slowly his interest shifted to research, and he also got involved in experimental treatments. During his time as a physician, he might have also given community clinic service or even worked as a part-time medical professional at a spaceport, where he could get access to alien patients. I am looking for connection with some military personnel, as I want to get the gun combat skill or Melee skill.
Dec 5, 2025 6:27 pm
Might be known to operational personnel in the ARDEN-JEWELL-EFATE AO during the war as weapons dealer/smuggler under his cover identity, Hrut Stepansava Comescu. Maybe they knew he was undercover, possibly in a support or complimentary role. Or, maybe they were dealing with him as an ally/adversary situation. Or it’s possible that something he did protected/enhanced someone else’s cover. Or perhaps they were just regulars at the same bar and grill and associated over beers or shots or whatever.
Last edited December 5, 2025 6:28 pm
Dec 5, 2025 10:38 pm
Gansay Trah Noh has spent her 'scientist' career mostly as computer-support for field Archeology expeditions. Along the Imperium's corward border, in close proximity to the Vargr Extents. Bandit country, low population and isolated worlds for the most part. She is used to "roughing it" and helping provide for expedition security when called upon. Very likely to have come into contact with medical or scientific personnel. Or Army "peacekeepers" or others monitoring the coreward subsectors prior to the WAR.
OOC:
I think there are potential acquaintence opportunities with every character already described. Probably brief encounters, or maybe a professional correspondence?
Dec 6, 2025 12:27 am
Dr. Trah Noh would have met "Hrut Stepansava Comescu" in the Vargr extents pre-5th FFW not knowing Bohide's real identity. They met trough using the same contacts for mundane items (supplies, life support). Dr. Trah Noh research indirectly benefited from efforts from Virel to enable the field work in the Vargr extents.

Dr. Shone crossed paths with J.E.E. Montgomery as Monty led the Army unit that extracted Dr. Shone and others from Sword World captivity. Angushlii's intel team worked the analyst that located the Sword world prison location, who was inside. She developed the contacts in and around the area of the Prison that confirmed the the prison location and then internal contacts that provided on the ground intelligence enabling Monty's Unit to conduct the rescue. Dr. Shone was one of many individual persons of interest, but no the main person. That individual's identity is only known to a select few.....including Angushlii and Monty. Some say it was the grandson of Duchess of Mora is Delphine Adorania Muudashir, but no one knows for sure.
Dec 6, 2025 2:33 am
I would be interested in connecting Hrut with Dr. Trah Noh. I think the fact that she knows Bohdie as Hrut is a fascinating concept with interesting development potential.

To see if there are others out there, here are the career events from generation:
University of Tanstaafl : No specific events, Majored in Admin, minored in Performance Art.
Marines: Failed Assault on stronghold led to being trapped behind enemy lines.
Agent Term 1: Successful first mission.
Agent Term 2: developed Network of contacts (4 contacts)
Agent Term 3: deep cover mission, FFW!
Last edited December 6, 2025 11:30 pm
Dec 6, 2025 2:56 am
Wilbur’s Career in "Turns"
- Turn -6 (Age 18): Marine Academy on Efate.
- Turn -5 / -4: Active Marine service, major action at Fornol during -4.
- Turn -3: Merchant Navy, lots of travel.
- Turn -2 / -1: Scout Service, finally achieves his dream.

Possible Crossings from my point of view, but always ready to change if someone as another idea.
- Dominic: Possible overlap in Turn -6 (Marine Academy).
- Virel: Shared experience in Turn -5 (Marine service)
- Bohdie: Likely overlap during Turn -4. I have a difficult assault on a stronghold, it could be the opportunity to deliver people stucked in a failed assault.
- Gansay: Could meet in Turn -3 (Merchant Navy travels).
- Chaala: Crossroads in Turn -2 (Scout Courier overlap).
- Dr Victor: Interaction in Turn -1 (Scout Service, maybe medical help)

Last edited December 6, 2025 3:05 am
Dec 6, 2025 3:53 am
Looks like Wilbur got into the Scouts after Chaala got reassigned to field intel, but she could have been in a rear area heling with courier training at some point.
Dec 6, 2025 11:43 am
I think it could be a very good opportunity indeed. I’m in Scout Deep Cover, so we’ve got stories in common — plenty of overlap between infiltration and field intelligence. That gives us a lot of shared ground to build on.
Dec 6, 2025 2:07 pm
With eights years in the Scouts plenty of opportunities to meet up with Ruiha, plus there's the crew that she convinced to take her off-world.
Dec 6, 2025 10:24 pm
J.E.E.M. is connected to Chaala by history. Especially with the connection throughthe Sword World captivity situation, meeting the second time, is a nice link to Dr. Shone, if you like. It's fitting to my planned skills, too.

And through a prank gone wrong I made a rival in the Army Academy; perhaps for Wilbur this rival is a mutual acquaintance?

In my fight with the rebels, I made an enemy, preferable a NPC. But anyone interested to link through this person?
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