Tourist Information

The Bowman Arm lies in District 268 of the Spinward Marches and forms one of the few Jump 2 or less routes into the Five Sisters subsector. It is that segment of the Spinward Main that heads from Caliburn towards the Five Sisters subsector. The Arm meanders onward into the next subsector but Flammarion and the worlds beyond are not considered to be part of it.

The ten worlds of the Bowman Arm are largely inhospitable and/or undeveloped,and present a significant barrier to Jump-1 trade through the region because of this. However, this also presents the budding entrepreneur with many opportunities for advancement. These worlds are not formally part of the Third Imperium or any other federation, although some do have affiliations and contacts with the Imperium, The Darrian Confederacy or the Sword Worlds. They are all likely to remain independent for the time being too, since the various federations are all still recovering from the Fifth Frontier War and have no resources left over for expansion.

The Arm does see some traffic, mainly from non-Imperial traders and a small group of subsidised liners that cater to traffic through it. Because of its under-developed nature, the Arm is more suited to small traders and merchants than to the larger combines and galactic corporations. The main exception to this is trade from the Darrian Confederation to Glisten subsector, which is almost universally carried through the Arm. The Arm is also home to a large number of Belters and the occasional larger mining operation hoping to make that lucky strike.

Pirates are a problem in the Arm because it lacks any significant System or Interstellar Police Force. Some of the worlds, as Imperial Client States, benefit from the occasional visit from the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service or the Imperial Navy. However, these are few and far between, and since the Fifth Frontier War the Imperial Navy has been significantly weakened due to the need to reinforce the Core. Some of this slack is taken up by Free Companies, who patrol the area with an Imperial warrant, but many of these are no better than the pirates anyway.

All of this means that the Bowman Arm is an apple ripe for the plucking, if only the right person can get a lucky break. It is a new frontier where the brave and bold can make their fortunes or die trying, although more have done the latter than the former.