Manussa Star Chart and Historical Reference

A large, leather-bound reference book with gilt-edged pages, its heavy cover etched with constellations and planetary systems. The volume combines stellar cartography (used for navigational plotting) with historical reference data from the Sumaran Empire, resting open on the TARDIS console as both Nyssa and Tegan reference it during their investigations. Its maps reveal forgotten galactic coordinates while the aged paper carries faint temporal residue and the smudge of decades of use. The chart is pivotal in detecting anomalies in navigation and temporal plotting, with its Manussa sector coordinates marked by Tegan and recognized instantly by Nyssa.

3 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S20E5 · Snakedance Part 1

Nyssa recognizes Manussa the wrong planet

The leather-bound star chart, gilt-edged and aged, becomes a critical tool as Nyssa consults it to identify their arrival on Manussa. She flips through the heavy pages with deliberate precision, revealing coordinates not originally set by the Doctor. The book’s consultation directly exposes Tegan’s unconscious influence.

Before: Stored on the TARDIS console, closed and presumably at rest

After: Open on the console, maps and coordinates illuminated and actively referenced

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S20E5 · Snakedance Part 1

Doctor confronts Tegan about Maran link

The large reference book—its gilt edges catching the time rotor’s light—becomes Nyssa’s primary tool for decoding their location. She traces Manussa’s history from its ruined empires, translating stellar annotations into spoken data that sharpens the Doctor’s suspicion about Tegan’s actions.

Before: Stored in the TARDIS library alcove until fetched for the crisis

After: Open on the sand, its pages glinting as she reads aloud the planet’s grim history

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S20E5 · Snakedance Part 1

Tegan’s night terror reveals the Doctor’s suspicions

Nyssa’s large reference book of Manussa stellar cartography and Sumaran histories acts as both compass and oracle. Its gilt-edged pages are smudged by her anxious handling as she reads, providing the factual key that links their misplaced arrival to Tegan’s hidden memories and the planet’s malignant past.

Before: Stowed under Nyssa’s arm as she exits the console room, its leather cover worn and the pages brittle with age

After: Clutched open in Nyssa’s hands during readings, its corners creased and ink spreading slightly from her tightened grip under strain

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