- "The Gulch is the nickname we gave to an immense cavern inside the largest, most heavily carved asteroid in sector 867-3A4."
- ―Korren Starchaser's datafiles
The largest asteroid of grid sector 867-3A4 in the Serianan Belt of Wild Space's Serianan system contained the artificial cavern known as the Gulch. In its interior were stored five alien statues that the crew of the New Republic Scout Service vessel Jedi Dreamer discovered at some point during the Galactic Civil War.
Description[]
- "Trace samples sent back to New Republic scientists have shown the minerals in this vicinity to be extremely dense and resistant to wear; however, preliminary evidence also indicates that the entire Gulch was hollowed out of this material."
- ―Korren Starchaser's datafiles
An airless asteroid was the largest of such objects in grid sector 867-3A4, an area of the Serianan Belt in[2] Wild Space's[1] Serianan system. The portion of the asteroid out of which the artificial cavern that the team of New Republic Scout Service captain Korren Starchaser nicknamed "the Gulch" was hollowed was composed of unusual minerals that were extremely dense and wear-resistant.[2]
History[]
- "According to preliminary reports, however, the asteroids themselves are not likely a natural phenomenon, and may be the remains of a multiple planet collision."
- ―Korren Starchaser's datafiles
At some point during the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic scout vessel Jedi Dreamer under the command of Captain Korren Starchaser undertook an expedition to the Serianan system. Based on preliminary sensor reports, the scouts theorized that the asteroids of the Serianan Belt were the remains of a rare multiple-planet collision. On the largest asteroid of the belt's grid sector 867-3A4, the Jedi Dreamer eventually discovered the cavern that was named "the Gulch." Using Vagabond deep space powersuits, the scouts explored the cave, recovering five alien statues from it that were hypothesized to form a part of a six-piece set.[2]
Eventually, Starchaser, wishing to protect the Serianan system from an ill-timed discovery by "unsavory" interests, cut the expedition short. Later, however, the New Republic Scout Service hired a group of individuals to carry out a follow-up investigation of the Serianan Belt, primarily focusing on studying the mineral composition of the Gulch.[2]
Locations[]
- "Large enough to carefully maneuver a small scout ship inside, the Gulch contained not only more designs on its interior, but also a stone alcove in the rear of the cave in which rested several small, perfectly preserved alien statues."
- ―Korren Starchaser's datafiles
Of the asteroids of grid sector 867-3A4, the one containing the Gulch featured the highest concentration of the patterns of ancient runes that were carved on the orbiting bodies. The Gulch itself was an artificial cavern that was spacious enough to allow for a small scout ship to carefully enter it. The cavern featured more of the runes on its interior walls, and its deepest part also had a stone alcove in which five alien statues were found. The statues were made of a similar type of mineral as the rest of the Gulch, with the material being dull orange and completely opaque to standard scanning methods but also much less dense.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The asteroid was introduced in the "Scouts' Dispatch" feature of the eighth issue of West End Games' Star Wars Adventure Journal magazine, published in November 1995. The feature was written by Peter Woodworth and included a Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventure seed related to the Gulch that this article assumes plays out as described.[2] The 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas placed the Serias system, and therefore the asteroid, in grid square P-2.[1]
Sources[]
"Scouts' Dispatch" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 8 (First mentioned)
