Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread
Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:02 pm
I think that even toddlers have to have distinct telepathic signatures from each other so it's very hard to have such a mishap.
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I expected for a naturally lethal psychokinetic civilian child (i.e. able to easily kill without using an amplifier) to be automatically inducted as a Teidar candidate, they are dangerous weapons by just existing and their automatic induction would offer a very useful social stress relief tool by showing the civilian underclass that if their children are lucky enough they can be inducted into a very prestigious warrior caste.Arioch wrote: In the pre-starflight era, when Loroi nations warred against each other and clans vied for power within nations, there were cases when a disadvantaged nation might dip into its civilian pool for talented individuals, or a disadvantaged clan might allow a wealthy civilian to "buy in" by mating her with one of the male scions of the clan. But in the modern era, after unification and abolition of the clan system, this is generally not permitted. It might be tempting to backdoor a powerful civilian psychokinetic into the Teidar, but there are other uses for male and civilian PK's.
As dragoongfa mentioned, babies are identified by their telepathic signatures rather than names, and warrior and worker babies are usually not raised in the same facilities, so it would take a disaster or war to mix them up... in which cases it would be tough to ever unmix them again. It's tough in a telepathic society to keep a known secret about the child's true origin.icekatze wrote:That makes me wonder, are there any notable stories or legends about children that were mixed up shortly after birth? Surely much less likely in the space-faring era, but perhaps in older times, especially since children aren't generally raised by their parents. Child from a warrior caste mother gets mixed up with a child from a civilian caste mother, maybe they looked so much alike or something.
Psychokinetic potential is hereditary, so in the modern era to have a civilian PK who was lethal unamplified would be very rare. But I think you're right that if they would make an exception in any case, this would be the one. Ultimately, might makes right in a warrior culture. However, I think they'd go out of their way to find some geneological evidence that she had warrior ancestors and was really a warrior. "You can make it if you try" is not the kind of message that keeps castes separate and underclasses in line.dragoongfa wrote:I expected for a naturally lethal psychokinetic civilian child (i.e. able to easily kill without using an amplifier) to be automatically inducted as a Teidar candidate, they are dangerous weapons by just existing and their automatic induction would offer a very useful social stress relief tool by showing the civilian underclass that if their children are lucky enough they can be inducted into a very prestigious warrior caste.
I think this case is less likely. Civilian telepaths are taught civilian techniques, and Mizol ninja skills are the kind of thing that is hard to learn on your own. A civilian telepath who is capable and influential within her own sphere is not usually considered to be a problem.dragoongfa wrote:Same with the Mizol if a child showed high telepathic potential coupled with some telekinesis, especially since a Mizol born to a civilian could prove to be a very good asset in matters of managing civilian unrest.
I don't really think that's the case -- heroic myths tend more to follow the culture telling the story in question, and you end up with more "peasant"-centric stories as the cultural divide between peasants and nobles increases. Hence why we have so many stories (David ala David and Goliath or the other biblical heroes that started as shepherds, the miller's son in Puss in Boots... if we include historical figures whose humble beginnings romanticized their origins, we get Napoleon, Joan de Arc, and Abraham Lincoln as comparatively recent examples) about slaves, shepherds, and other "salt of the Earth" people tricking and/or becoming nobility, all coming from cultures where nobles and peasants don't really associate. And also why those tend to emerge as "folklore", passed by oral tradition, than as stories with formal authors and written origins -- the people more likely to be telling them are less likely to be able to read.Arioch wrote:Thinking of our own mythologies, the heroes are almost always princes and princesses or kings and queens or the children of the gods or the gods themselves, and almost never peasants.
Folklore often features peasant characters, but folklore is not really what I mean by heroic myth. Mythology is derived from folklore and historical events, but it is distilled by time and culture into almost pure allegory according to the mores of the culture. The peasant hero who made himself king inevitably transmogrifies into the disinherited prince who reclaims his lost birthright, or who is the chosen one fulfilling prophecy. David was a shepherd... who was anointed King by God and who (according the to the Bible's telling) owed all his success in battle to his piety and God's patronage, rather than to his own skill or wit. But you're right, the story of the myth reflects the values of the culture.Gorbash wrote:I don't really think that's the case -- heroic myths tend more to follow the culture telling the story in question, and you end up with more "peasant"-centric stories as the cultural divide between peasants and nobles increases. Hence why we have so many stories (David ala David and Goliath or the other biblical heroes that started as shepherds, the miller's son in Puss in Boots... if we include historical figures whose humble beginnings romanticized their origins, we get Napoleon, Joan de Arc, and Abraham Lincoln as comparatively recent examples) about slaves, shepherds, and other "salt of the Earth" people tricking and/or becoming nobility, all coming from cultures where nobles and peasants don't really associate. And also why those tend to emerge as "folklore", passed by oral tradition, than as stories with formal authors and written origins -- the people more likely to be telling them are less likely to be able to read.Arioch wrote:Thinking of our own mythologies, the heroes are almost always princes and princesses or kings and queens or the children of the gods or the gods themselves, and almost never peasants.
Sure, but society decides which stories to retell. As with the Bible, the stories are carefully curated, each chosen to teach a moral lesson... mythology is not history. As Spock said, it is not a lie to keep the truth to oneself.icekatze wrote:It makes sense that Loroi stories would put an emphasis on people being in their correct caste, although as has also been said, Loroi stories are also expected to be true.
If a civilian child somehow got into a warrior training band by accident, once she passed the warrior trials, legally she is a warrior, regardless of who her parents were. How her peers and superiors would react to the revelation of her "low" birth would depend on the situation, her character and the characters of her peers and superiors. She might be given shit jobs for the rest of her life, or the matter might be forgotten and never mentioned again.icekatze wrote:I guess what I was curious about is the unmixing process. Would a civilian child who thought they were warrior born be stripped of rank, or maybe sent on impossible suicide missions in order to cover up the mistake, or would their superiors just acknowledge that mistakes were made and it's just too bad so deal with it.
No.inxsi wrote:Were the shampoo/conditioner (and any other beauty products) manufacturers nationalized by Greywind?
The Loroi government is more of an oligarchy than it is a true monarchy; the Emperor's powers are not absolute. There is an extensive military bureaucracy that has a traditional way of doing things, and the Diadem council which appointed the Emperor can also depose her. Getting a conservative society to do something new takes a significant amount of political skill.inxsi wrote:How large of a pool of people influence the Emperor's policies?
I'd like to think that most conscientious leaders have the welfare of the common soldier in mind, and I expect there is a significant amount of pushback from lower tiers of leadership when demands become untenable. However, this is a society in which much is asked of the warrior class even in peacetime, so when pushed into a war that has been essentially about survival from day one, the suffering the common solider can't be the top priority. But even the Loroi have limits, and the war has been in a dire state for a very long time.inxsi wrote:Is there any voice advocating for concern for the "common Soroin/Tenoin" in the war planning?
I reckon 'the sarge' fits the bill? At least on the field level?Arioch wrote:If you're asking whether there is a dedicated position whose job it is to speak for the common solider, I don't imagine there is. I can't think of any equivalent in any Earth military.
NCOs and low ranking officers tend to speak on behalf of the common soldier when said common soldier is clearly frustrated about something. If only to avoid catching a bullet at the back in the mid of a firefight.GeoModder wrote:I reckon 'the sarge' fits the bill? At least on the field level?Arioch wrote:If you're asking whether there is a dedicated position whose job it is to speak for the common solider, I don't imagine there is. I can't think of any equivalent in any Earth military.
I was speaking at higher strategic or political level, more in line with my (possibly misremembering) politicians in World War One who viewed their responsibility as protecting the soldiers from the generals in charge. I'm not sure if this analogy really applies since it seems the Loroi were on the strategic defense before the events of the comic and those complaints were more about offensive operations that seemed designed to run into a meat grinder.dragoongfa wrote:NCOs and low ranking officers tend to speak on behalf of the common soldier when said common soldier is clearly frustrated about something. If only to avoid catching a bullet at the back in the mid of a firefight.
Yes I had a sergeant in the army who I would shoot at the back if we ended up in a firefight and I wasn't the only one, the Captain in charge of the company was aware of it and said sergeant was reigned in for his conduct; repeatedly.
In strike groups that are constantly being resupplied in the field and sent directly back into action, this can become a problem. The command hierarchy of the group (the commander, squadron captains, and senior Mizols) will normally submit reports to the supply convoy, including action reports, supply requests and status reports; if there were complaints about the CO, that's where they would be expected to go. However, it's unlikely that much could really be done about the situation until the group came back into port.inxsi wrote:That does raise a thought - how much interaction with the rest of the military does a Strike Group have? If the commander of a Strike Group becomes seems to be becoming unfit to command, what recourse is there to remove her before it needs to be done in the middle of the Steppes? I'm trying to avoid using Stillstorm as an example, as I think she's somewhat unique due to her opposition to the Emperor. My understanding is that in the field, this would be handled by the ranking Teidal and Mizol for in the field changes (read - arrest and detain the officer) - but would there be a channel to report back and get the commander reassigned temporarily before such drastic action is needed?
Private telepathic messages can be shared between individuals, but public messages sent to a group can also be received by anyone else in range. Particularly skilled telepaths can sometimes intercept even private messages, so telepathy is not a secure form of communication in Loroi vs. Loroi battles. Even when observing telepathic "radio silence", each soldier's telepathic signature is still visible to the enemy, so there are not a lot of tactical surprises in a Loroi vs. Loroi engagement.boldilocks wrote:If two groups of Loroi are fighting, are they able to isolate their own telepathy from the enemy? Can one group listen in on the other?
It would depend on the situation. SG51 has personnel shortages, so the survivors were distributed to other vessels to fill in gaps. When they finally got back to port, there would be an official determination made whether the crew should be reassigned.inxsi wrote:Are crews kept together if their ship is resigned (if the crew did not suffer severe losses)? For example - it seems that the Thunderbolt might have most of its crew still alive when it was evacuated and resigned. Assuming this was the case, would this crew be kept together (crewing a new ship when one can be provided) or split up to fill spots on other vessels?
The civilian elements of the military industrial complex -- those businesses involved in the design and production of military hardware -- deal most closely with the warrior class.inxsi wrote:What civilian guilds deal most closely with the military? How close do civilians get to the front lines as part of their jobs and what are those jobs?