Writing Prompts

[novius]

New part for 'Beacons' is up.

Of course, the other Loroi have thoughts on their own....

[novius]

New part for 'New Frontiers' is up.

The part where a Mizol tries a completely novel tactics: Honesty.

[Werra]

ucklers, daggers and all that are great for one on one combat but combat between armies would be different. Spears, shields and defensive formations would play a role, as well as ranged weapons since the jungle would make ambushes with bows and arrows feasible when combined with Mizol techniques like a Lotai.

In general the Loroi didn't favor ranged weaponry in battle due to their stronger telekinetics being able to protect even a formation from arrows and small slow projectiles like slingshots but this makes them all the more deadly in ambushes.

Also don't forget that the Loroi didn't get gunpowder until their industrialization, needs to be made clear somehow so an other writer doesn't put it in by accident.

Most of that only applies to Deinar. Perrein didn't have a lot of strong telekinetics and little land suitable for open field battles with formations such as the Tercio for example.

As I said, things on Perrein at that time can be quite different from the comic. I aim for Mizol abilities in which say a Lotai only reduces senseability to a couple dozen meters instead of making it impossible.

What I have in mind should result in a form of warfare not unlike european feuds from the middle ages, in which neither Lord had the power to besiege the other in his burg. So they went around and bullied the peasantry. Just that on Perrein, the warriors go around and duel each other in their commando operations.

@Beacons
If only I was younger, then I'd still have the endurance for all this elf riding.

@New Frontiers
Oh, the Diral and Nathan have been plenty valuable from the Lotai alone. Giving them more abilities doesn't change anything. I admit, I am a bit confused what this changes for Bastal. Except for, you know, make the risk of coming in with force even more worth it.

[novius]

@Beacons
If only I was younger, then I'd still have the endurance for all this elf riding.

And there's Duskcrown's edict to find someone not intent on having a romp with him.

Though... the answer to this question could be right in front of Alex, unless Duskcrown's preferences in males are considerably wider than originally assumed.

[orion1836]

It would have been the ultimate act of trolling for Duskcrown to saddle Stillstorm with the job.

[dragoongfa]

Stillstorm would have then thrown it onto Jade with the instruction 'NO TO EVERYONE'.

When I was in the army my company captain joked: "I have subordinates to worry about this stuff". I don't think that Loroi would be much different in their outlook.

[Werra]

Funny that you mention it. There was the idea going around of having Alex haggle Duskcrown down to setting Stillstorm as his caretaker with the understanding that her staff takes over the actual duties.

Guess what...

SpoilerShow

Fblade and Beryl are still crewmembers of Tempest. Rune Laurel is their immediate boss now. Jade and Jardin are the only ones in Stillstorms staff so far. In that scenario you can practically hear Duskcrowns laughter the moment Alex realizes that he bargained for the wrong thing once back on Tempest.

[novius]

Though, I imagine the caretakers to be outside the rank structure when it comes to their duties as caretakers. Word Of God has it that the Loroi rank structure is somewhat "byzantine" - his words - and that even a high-ranked Listel or Doranzer wouldn't be able to order a Soroin Pideir around, (unless explicitely authorized to). So it's safe to assume that it's the same with caretakers as caretakers. After all, they have to have the power to even authoritatively deny encounters to the likes of a Torrai Tazites.

I imagine that it would even be illegal to influence a caretaker's decision besides simple suggestion.

This set of laws would have been introduced to prevent caretakers from stonewalling specific warriors on behest of others, and, would it concern a typical Loroi male, stonewalling him would be akin to slowly murdering him. But, Duskcrown made it explicitely clear that she considers the compromise to be failed when he denies himself to everyone (else besides Beryl and Fireblade).

So, to put it with the words of James Bond: "The things you endure for Crown and Country..."

[orion1836]

Stillstorm would have then thrown it onto Jade with the instruction 'NO TO EVERYONE'.

When I was in the army my company captain joked: "I have subordinates to worry about this stuff". I don't think that Loroi would be much different in their outlook.

Or worse, in the ultimate act of trolling by Stillstorm... 'YES TO EVERYONE.'

[dragoongfa]

All I am going to say about how the next part is shaping up is that it's a good thing that Duskcrown is somewhat open minded and flexible in military matters, I imagine that a self-righteous and doctrine locked admiralty would take issues with his relatively straightforward opinions on the war effort.

[novius]

All I am going to say about how the next part is shaping up is that it's a good thing that Duskcrown is somewhat open minded and flexible in military matters, I imagine that a self-righteous and doctrine locked admiralty would take issues with his relatively straightforward opinions on the war effort.

And both Stillstorm and Beryl feared about the worst when they thought how this 'dinner date' would pan out. They might be in for a surprise.

SpoilerShow

Digging into the Bellarmine salvage, Beryl already envisioned some movie nights with human-made media. It would be too surreal for Duskcrown to sign up, too, when it comes to war movies or alien invasion flicks... would it?

[Kensai]

And both Stillstorm and Beryl feared about the worst when they thought how this 'dinner date' would pan out. They might be in for a surprise.

SpoilerShow

Digging into the Bellarmine salvage, Beryl already envisioned some movie nights with human-made media. It would be too surreal for Duskcrown to sign up, too, when it comes to war movies or alien invasion flicks... would it?

SpoilerShow

I think it would be very.... appropriate.... and perhaps humorous to read a Loroi take on something like "Saving Private Ryan" or even "Raid on Entebbe".

I look forward to the next parts for certain, for reactions if nothing else.

[Werra]

Tempest is docked for the second day at Nezel. I believe dragoongfa had Duskcrown/Stillstorm estimate three days until the Umiak assault. If we take the 50.000 Solon in-system travel time into consideration, they could jump in at any moment.

SpoilerShow

If you guys are so enamored with Duskcrown, why don't you write it so that Alex is still on Green River when the fleet scrambles into battle positions?

If she were to take part in the sleepover, she'd just be disappointed that Alex didn't pick a historical design from for example Band of Brothers. If his uniforms are custom-tailored anyway he might as well get a designer uniformin black.

[dragoongfa]

Regarding the Umiak assault:

SpoilerShow

My estimate was 3 at the least, probably 4 days and 5 days at most for resupply, repairs and reorganization of a 20 division sized armada, the time mostly dependent on how many ships the Shells would consider unfit for further combat and thus would be cannibalized for parts.

Alex and Duskcrown are going to discuss the Shell preparations for the attack and how only the Shells are able to field repair and resupply such a fleet in such short amount of time without the use of dedicated docks.

I am going to leave the time for the battle to writer consensus but be warned that I am awfully busy/tired these past few weeks and so the battle sequences from my part will take some time.

[Zarya]

NF can go in many directions...

[Werra]

~ 360 tozon would put Bastal somewhere into her late fifties for humans. You sure you didn't want to write 460 tozon, Zarya? Otherwise she wouldn't show such pronounced signs of aging yet as she still has well over a century in the tank.

@dragoongfa
I might have misremembered then. Please don't feel like you have to write the space battles.

[Zarya]

Went with earlier estimated age 350+ plus or minus 7 years. Assuming that 400 is nature’s limit for most Loroi.

[Werra]

That was human years, I believe and at least from my part a conservative guess.

In tozon Loroi should go up to ~ 500+ if memory checks out. See the timeline for year 1111. Loremark died at 459 tozon a natural death (I presume). Eight Dawn lived from 1336 till 1834 and was a provincial governor in 1336. So that means she lived at least 498 years + however long to become governor.

Maybe it would be worth it if we all agreed to either use Loroi numbers or human numbers for all these fan stories? I messed up the numbers myself several times already. It would be simplest to use human numbers, but might make some passages weird.

SpoilerShow

When Nathan has sex with a bunch of 6 year olds, for example.

[dragoongfa]

~ 360 tozon would put Bastal somewhere into her late fifties for humans. You sure you didn't want to write 460 tozon, Zarya? Otherwise she wouldn't show such pronounced signs of aging yet as she still has well over a century in the tank.

@dragoongfa
I might have misremembered then. Please don't feel like you have to write the space battles.

I would guess that aging signs vary in Loroi individuals, the insider puts their lifespan at 400+ and Emperor Loremark died at 459 but she undoubtedly went through longevity treatments despite the rarity of Loroi electing to go through them. It stands to reason that preliminary signs of aging can be visible from the mid 300s much like how many humans look look like they are 50 when they are later 30s and etc.

If Bastal had a rough life or is just unlucky she may have visibly aged early yet still go to live through her 400s even without longevity treatments.

Also, I like writing battle scenes, it's just that I am too tired and with my hands full lately due to work picking up in the office and me clocking in overtime due to it.

[Werra]

Oh, Eight Dawn surely went through life prolonging treatment. Loremark, maybe too.

Soia lifeforms don't actually age. They accumulate damage to their DNA during their lifetime. The negative effects of their advanced age can be pretty much anything from weakness to cancers if I recall correctly. But they don't get weaker with age the way humans do. They don't get different hormone levels or somesuch. So Bastal having trouble holding up a lightstick should mean that her system is crumbling under the weight of centuries worth of accrued microdamages. That signals the coming end and it's usually rather swift compared to the lifespan. Having it work on the same accelerated timetable as their youth feels about right.

Edit:
To clear up future confusion, I think we should agree on an age for Bastal.
So...what do you guys think? Is she close to death, has a couple decades or still has a century?