Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Discussion regarding the Outsider webcomic, science, technology and science fiction.

Moderator: Outsider Moderators

User avatar
CF2
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:02 pm
Location: On your PC as a background program.

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by CF2 »

What sort of superstitions do the Loroi have? I'm sure we'll get into some in detail within the comic, if they have any at all, but I'm curious what kind of things have stuck with them as a species growing up in the ruins of an alien empire.
Image

User avatar
Arioch
Site Admin
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:19 am
Location: San Jose, CA
Contact:

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

CF2 wrote:What sort of superstitions do the Loroi have? I'm sure we'll get into some in detail within the comic, if they have any at all, but I'm curious what kind of things have stuck with them as a species growing up in the ruins of an alien empire.
They have a variety of superstitions regarding luck, most of which would be recognizable to any athlete or sports fan: lucky items, "rally caps" and lucky rituals, not wanting to change behavior to preserve a good streak, etc. What's a bit different is their general view that luck is a zero-sum affair, and one person who is "lucky" is making someone else "unlucky."

User avatar
CF2
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:02 pm
Location: On your PC as a background program.

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by CF2 »

Arioch wrote:
CF2 wrote:What sort of superstitions do the Loroi have? I'm sure we'll get into some in detail within the comic, if they have any at all, but I'm curious what kind of things have stuck with them as a species growing up in the ruins of an alien empire.
They have a variety of superstitions regarding luck, most of which would be recognizable to any athlete or sports fan: lucky items, "rally caps" and lucky rituals, not wanting to change behavior to preserve a good streak, etc. What's a bit different is their general view that luck is a zero-sum affair, and one person who is "lucky" is making someone else "unlucky."
Can lucky items or things include people? This might be getting into in-story material, but do commanders try to hang onto personnel they consider lucky to have around? Can you willingly transfer luck to someone through ritual or passing them an item?
Image

Sweforce
Posts: 546
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:00 am

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Sweforce »

CF2 wrote:
Arioch wrote:
CF2 wrote:What sort of superstitions do the Loroi have? I'm sure we'll get into some in detail within the comic, if they have any at all, but I'm curious what kind of things have stuck with them as a species growing up in the ruins of an alien empire.
They have a variety of superstitions regarding luck, most of which would be recognizable to any athlete or sports fan: lucky items, "rally caps" and lucky rituals, not wanting to change behavior to preserve a good streak, etc. What's a bit different is their general view that luck is a zero-sum affair, and one person who is "lucky" is making someone else "unlucky."
Can lucky items or things include people? This might be getting into in-story material, but do commanders try to hang onto personnel they consider lucky to have around? Can you willingly transfer luck to someone through ritual or passing them an item?
You are talking about a mascot I believe our protagonist Alex have become one.

User avatar
dragoongfa
Posts: 1948
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:26 pm
Location: Athens, Greece

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by dragoongfa »

Alex is the definition of unlucky by Loroi standards, he is the sole survivor of a ship after all; he has to be the reason for all the others dying since he sucked the luck out of them.

harlequin2262
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 3:08 am

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by harlequin2262 »

So presumably he is presently laden with an entire ships worth of luck, and should be promptly harvested at first opportunity? Nothing like an alien skull on the bonnet for the favour of the gods. A little dangly humans foot for a keychain.

User avatar
dragoongfa
Posts: 1948
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:26 pm
Location: Athens, Greece

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by dragoongfa »

I don't believe that Loroi luck works that way :P

Jayngfet
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:22 am

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Jayngfet »

Of course given he's an alien species with an unknown ability who's only connection is that to him they are an alien species who use superstition as factual power, odds are there's someone out there on the ship who thinks Alex is literally stealing their luck.

User avatar
CF2
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:02 pm
Location: On your PC as a background program.

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by CF2 »

Jayngfet wrote:Of course given he's an alien species with an unknown ability who's only connection is that to him they are an alien species who use superstition as factual power, odds are there's someone out there on the ship who thinks Alex is literally stealing their luck.
There's probably an active wager on whether he's lucky or unlucky. In fact, given what an enigma Alex is, I'm half-sure that one of the reasons Beryl is so eager to press him for information is that he's making her a small fortune.
Image

Jayngfet
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:22 am

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Jayngfet »

Fan theory Beryl sure has a lot of ultreior motives for a species really bad with ulterior motives.

boldilocks
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 3:27 pm

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by boldilocks »

Jayngfet wrote:Fan theory Beryl sure has a lot of ultreior motives for a species really bad with ulterior motives.
I'm sort of starting to like the idea of Alex' situation being like a hot french exchange student who's accidentally ended up at a school for boys or a boy's summer camp and now the wolves are circling. Pretty soon Beryl's gonna be like "Hey, Alex, watch me chug this entire bottle of soda!" or "Hey alex, watch me do a rad flip!"
I'm guessing he'll end up with Fireblade, the socially awkward jewish kid from new york, probably played by woody allen.
(Script by woody allen. Directed by woody allen.)

harlequin2262
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 3:08 am

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by harlequin2262 »

Jayngfet wrote:Fan theory Beryl sure has a lot of ultreior motives for a species really bad with ulterior motives.
Really bad at concealing and managing them, perhaps. Which is possibly why she went from 'literally falling asleep in front of an audience' to 'scuttling up to the cockpit in a vengeful fury because the goddamn Tenoin is psychically hi-fiving everyone on the ship' in about 30 seconds.

Also, her GURPS sheet? Possessive fits the points cost for that hidden negative quality she has.

User avatar
CF2
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:02 pm
Location: On your PC as a background program.

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by CF2 »

harlequin2262 wrote:Also, her GURPS sheet? Possessive fits the points cost for that hidden negative quality she has.
If we guess those correctly do they get unhidden, or do they need in-story reveals?
Image

D1ff3r3nt
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2016 9:15 am
Location: Mckinleyville CA

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by D1ff3r3nt »

harlequin2262 wrote:
Jayngfet wrote:Fan theory Beryl sure has a lot of ultreior motives for a species really bad with ulterior motives.
Really bad at concealing and managing them, perhaps. Which is possibly why she went from 'literally falling asleep in front of an audience' to 'scuttling up to the cockpit in a vengeful fury because the goddamn Tenoin is psychically hi-fiving everyone on the ship' in about 30 seconds.

Also, her GURPS sheet? Possessive fits the points cost for that hidden negative quality she has.
Maybe it is like a high school thing. I mean Beryl is 14 and maybe she just does not want Tenoin getting with him first because she is a year younger.

User avatar
Hālian
Posts: 793
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:28 am
Location: Central Florida
Contact:

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Hālian »

Arioch wrote:luck is a zero-sum affair
That explains the Cleveland Browns.
Image
Don't delay, join today!

User avatar
SVlad
Posts: 307
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 5:43 pm
Location: Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by SVlad »

By the way, how exactly is the word "Loroi" pronounced?
Outsider in Russian
Image

User avatar
Arioch
Site Admin
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:19 am
Location: San Jose, CA
Contact:

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

SVlad wrote:By the way, how exactly is the word "Loroi" pronounced?
low-ROY

User avatar
SVlad
Posts: 307
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 5:43 pm
Location: Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by SVlad »

Arioch wrote:
SVlad wrote:By the way, how exactly is the word "Loroi" pronounced?
low-ROY
You mean
/loʊˈɹɔɪ/
?
Outsider in Russian
Image

User avatar
Hālian
Posts: 793
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:28 am
Location: Central Florida
Contact:

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Hālian »

SVlad wrote:
Arioch wrote:
SVlad wrote:By the way, how exactly is the word "Loroi" pronounced?
low-ROY
You mean
/loʊˈɹɔɪ/
?
From the Spiderforest Podcast, I heard /ˈlɔɹ.oi/.
Image
Don't delay, join today!

User avatar
dragoongfa
Posts: 1948
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:26 pm
Location: Athens, Greece

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by dragoongfa »

Arioch wrote:
CF2 wrote:What sort of superstitions do the Loroi have? I'm sure we'll get into some in detail within the comic, if they have any at all, but I'm curious what kind of things have stuck with them as a species growing up in the ruins of an alien empire.
They have a variety of superstitions regarding luck, most of which would be recognizable to any athlete or sports fan: lucky items, "rally caps" and lucky rituals, not wanting to change behavior to preserve a good streak, etc. What's a bit different is their general view that luck is a zero-sum affair, and one person who is "lucky" is making someone else "unlucky."
Hmm...

It just struck me, if the above is true (as a universal law or something) then someone should point out that the Loroi males are the reason why Human males are unlucky.

Post Reply