Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

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jterlecki
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by jterlecki »

Arioch wrote:And in particular, biologists looking at the Loroi genome are going to be very confused.
Would Loroi DNA contain 'artificial' nucleotide bases like P, B, Z and S from Hachimoji DNA, on top of the usual A,T,G,C ?

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Arioch
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

jterlecki wrote:Would Loroi DNA contain 'artificial' nucleotide bases like P, B, Z and S from Hachimoji DNA, on top of the usual A,T,G,C ?
I don't know enough about molecular biology to speculate about such details... I wouldn't say for certain that the Loroi even have DNA.

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orion1836
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by orion1836 »

Arioch wrote:
jterlecki wrote:Would Loroi DNA contain 'artificial' nucleotide bases like P, B, Z and S from Hachimoji DNA, on top of the usual A,T,G,C ?
I don't know enough about molecular biology to speculate about such details... I wouldn't say for certain that the Loroi even have DNA.
How would their cells replicate?

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

orion1836 wrote:How would their cells replicate?
Presumably the DNA molecule isn't the only possible way of storing genetic information.

Since Loroi food is at least somewhat compatible with human biochemistry -- that is, it contains proteins and fats and carbohydrates -- it it reasonable to assume that Loroi biochemistry is based on similar carbon compounds, and so it makes some sense that the cellular mechanics are protein-based, and so some control molecule that has similar properties to DNA seems very likely. It could be DNA, or some variant of DNA, or some other compound with similar functions but a very different structure. As I mentioned before, I don't know enough about the details of organic chemistry to drill down to this level, and as I don't think it's directly relevant to the story, I haven't tried to work it out (nor do I currently plan to... but you never know what the future holds).

Krulle
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Krulle »

Would they even have Mitochondria?
Or they have more than one type of Mytochondria, for different purposes.

In the end, the Loroi are nothing more than a colony of highly specialized bacteria cooperating and giving the impression of a being similar to humans.
That would confuse just about anyone.

Hi, XChaggers!
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

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Arioch
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

Krulle wrote:Would they even have Mitochondria?
Or they have more than one type of Mytochondria, for different purposes.
Soia-Liron organisms presumably have cellular organelle(s) that perform analogous functions, but the fact that Earth organisms' mitochondria have separate DNA from the cell nucleus implies that mitochrondria developed from symbiotic organisms in our distant unicellular past. I think that's unlikely to be the case with the Soia-Liron organisms.

Unless of course it turns out that the Loroi also have symbiotic microorganisms living within them, and that's who the Soia really are, and they're what makes telepathy possible, as they communicate the will of the Force.

No wait, that's midichlorians, not mitochondria.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Ithekro »

Arioch wrote:Unless of course it turns out that the Loroi also have symbiotic microorganisms living within them, and that's who the Soia really are, and they're what makes telepathy possible, as they communicate the will of the Force.

No wait, that's midichlorians, not mitochondria.
That would explain a lot....
(The Force does its own thing anyway)
Though would Alex have a cultural background to recognized a plasma based sword and what it could do? And would the Loroi or other powers even considered such a high tech melee weapon as practical.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by SaintofM »

Ithekro wrote:
Arioch wrote:Unless of course it turns out that the Loroi also have symbiotic microorganisms living within them, and that's who the Soia really are, and they're what makes telepathy possible, as they communicate the will of the Force.

No wait, that's midichlorians, not mitochondria.
That would explain a lot....
(The Force does its own thing anyway)
Though would Alex have a cultural background to recognized a plasma based sword and what it could do? And would the Loroi or other powers even considered such a high tech melee weapon as practical.
There is always going to be a need for a melee weapon. Readily available, siolent, stealthy, and doesn't need to be reloaded.

Its not a primary weapon, nor has it been for a long time, but eventually you will run out of ammo, you somehow loose your weapon, or need to make a kill that needs to be as quiet as possible.

This said, it would be rarly used outside of either the need of less than lethal law enforcement needs, or emergency needs for most lorori. It might be effective on some of the Umiak allies and client races, but the blue space babes would need something specialized for the shells, say their joints, or find a nerve cluster to kill them outright. This is assuming that cases like Fireblade are not the most common tyoe if warriors (say special forces level).

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Daegondrake »

I just read in the insider that the nissek, keeps it's fleet close to defend themselves from threats not related to the loroi.

Will we see them in the comic and if not have you given thought to what the threat was.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

Daegondrake wrote:I just read in the insider that the nissek, keeps it's fleet close to defend themselves from threats not related to the loroi.

Will we see them in the comic and if not have you given thought to what the threat was.
Yeah, there will be Nissek in the comic.

There are civilizations on the other side of Nissek territory (in the Ninnil Gap and beyond) which the Nissek have been at war with off and on. The Nissek have fought with pretty much all of their neighbors at one point or another.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Dorfington »

I'm very interested with learning more about the other races in the local bubble and beyond. Will we perhaps be getting insider pages on races such as the Delrias, Morat and Nissek?

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

Dorfington wrote:I'm very interested with learning more about the other races in the local bubble and beyond. Will we perhaps be getting insider pages on races such as the Delrias, Morat and Nissek?
There will be more information, but how much and when remains to be seen.

The Delrias & Morat will certainly be dealt with in more detail, including ship designs. Though this is later in the comic.

There is a Neridi info page currently under construction.

As for what is "beyond" the local bubble, this is a subject of the planned sequel. (And yes, planning for such things happens irrespective of how distant a prospect such a thing might be.)

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Daegondrake »

Is the Barsam ship "Prophet's Reason." The biggest and most armed class of ships the barsam can build for themselves, if not what are the restrictions placed on them and other races in the loroi union by the loroi is there restrictions to: fleet numbers, armaments, size ect.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

Daegondrake wrote:Is the Barsam ship "Prophet's Reason." The biggest and most armed class of ships the barsam can build for themselves, if not what are the restrictions placed on them and other races in the loroi union by the loroi is there restrictions to: fleet numbers, armaments, size ect.
The Barsam have armed patrol cruisers, the largest of which are about 325m or so. They are armed with heavy blasters and are more ruggedly armored than similar sized Loroi cruisers. The treaty also allows them some armed troop transports and light carriers, which are considered defensive in nature. They also have armed stations. The Agumo armed couriers are kind of "pocket cruisers", and not officially belonging to the Barsam government.

Each of the members of the Union has a specific set of restrictions regarding number, size, and armament of vessels, similar to the Washington and London naval treaties of the 1920's and 30's. These restrictions were agreed to jointly and are reviewed at regular intervals by the appropriate committee of the Union Assembly.

I expect the treaty probably has escalation clauses which allow members to build more and larger warships in the event of war, and so the Barsam may have built a few larger vessels, but if so they haven't seen any action. On ethical grounds, official Barsam support is mostly in the form of economic, infrastructural, production and logistical support. The Agumo vessels sometimes take part in direct action against the enemy, but they're technically mercenaries operating under the Loroi command structure.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Krulle »

For a pacifistic society, having armed mercenaries also sounds more like the way to go.
That way government has a fall-back option for war, while still being nominally "pacifistic".
It also allows those members in that society who are less of believers in the pacifist ways to go their ways and "protect themselves".

Pretty sure there are strong regulation on those weapon-carrying ships, and will likely not have the allowance to work within the core regions of Barsam terrritory, only in the (less secured) fringes and beyond, where there is a need to be able to defend yourself.

And if something happens to the mercenaries, it does not affect the statistics of deaths in the army of this pacifistic government.

And if war rolls closer and mere support of the friendly and protective neighbour will not be enough anymore, Government can seize these mercenary ships (with crew) and enroll them for their own fleet, and thus has a ready to deploy fleet standing by (which pays for itself in peaceful times by pursuing paid missions).

I'm looking forward to see and read more of this universe you built, Arioch. So far that universe is pulling me in stronger than the story currently does.
But then, I love space operas, and your universe has the most important ingredient for that: a gigantic backstory, most of it yet to discover.


(Anyone ever read Peter F. Hamilton's SciFi series? Gigantic universes created, sadly his stories are more like the Gordian knot in the way he resolves them.)
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

gaerzi
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by gaerzi »

Ithekro wrote:Though would Alex have a cultural background to recognized a plasma based sword and what it could do? And would the Loroi or other powers even considered such a high tech melee weapon as practical.
One of the Loroi in this shuttle is named Fireblade. They may or may not consider energy swords to be a practical idea in reality, but they clearly have thought about the concept and find it alluring at least on a poetical/mythological sense.

Jayngfet
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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Jayngfet »

Arioch wrote:
Krulle wrote:Would they even have Mitochondria?
Or they have more than one type of Mytochondria, for different purposes.
Soia-Liron organisms presumably have cellular organelle(s) that perform analogous functions, but the fact that Earth organisms' mitochondria have separate DNA from the cell nucleus implies that mitochrondria developed from symbiotic organisms in our distant unicellular past. I think that's unlikely to be the case with the Soia-Liron organisms.

Unless of course it turns out that the Loroi also have symbiotic microorganisms living within them, and that's who the Soia really are, and they're what makes telepathy possible, as they communicate the will of the Force.

No wait, that's midichlorians, not mitochondria.
Of course the problem is that the more this happens the more you have to nail down what the actual differences and similarities are and how they got to that point. Obviously the Barsam and Nibiren have visual similarity but if they're entirely different on the inside that's going to just make it seem like a coincidence or covergent evolution or a hundred other things.

However, you did make it clear previously Loroi have more or less identical internal organs to humans and these organs work by equivalent processed down to the way individual cells reproduce and processes are done, specifically in regards to reproduction but presumably you can extrapolate this to fill in some obvious gaps. Which just raises the question of how totally chemically different organisms can perform that exactly under a microscope. Presuming that Loroi and other species are artificial, which is kinda presumed by default simply because no other theory actually tackles this issue that we're aware of, why would a created species mimic an evolved one to that degree of complexity while being totally different? It sounds like a lot of work for no discernible end result.

The differences kind of also just raise further questions. After all Mitochondria generate necessary energy in almost all multicellular life, especially the complex life forms you can see with your naked eye. So you have to ask where is all that energy coming from in organisms that lack it.

Of course you've also indicated that the energy used in various mental abilities isn't actually generated by a Loroi's body so that might be something. But if all species of Soia origin operate on that process it simply raises further questions yet again.

Of course I might be going in a totally wrong direction with these suppositions to begin with.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Werra »

Jayngfet wrote:why would a created species mimic an evolved one to that degree of complexity while being totally different? It sounds like a lot of work for no discernible end result.
One possible reason is that an organically occuring species has already been tested and improved upon by natural selection. So copying that should avoid many design flaws and lessen the burden of reiterative testing. At the same time recreating the species from scratch instead of just gene tailoring it, gives the opportunity to make deep changes and correct that, which natural selection can't on its own, like the blind spot in the human eye.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Arioch »

Jayngfet wrote:The differences kind of also just raise further questions. After all Mitochondria generate necessary energy in almost all multicellular life, especially the complex life forms you can see with your naked eye. So you have to ask where is all that energy coming from in organisms that lack it.
Mitochondria synthesize ATP, which is what our cells use for energy, but they have another unusual quality: they're not just regular cellular organelles like the nucleus or ribosomes or chloroplasts... they're essentially symbiotic organisms with their own DNA. It's true that almost all multicellular life on Earth have mitochondria, but that's surely because almost all multicellular life evolved from the same common ancestor. I don't think there's anything fundamental to ATP production that requires this strange genetic configuration, and I assume that this is merely a quirk of our early evolution. Alien organisms, even when they run on chemistry very similar to ours, might have organelles which produce ATP, but I doubt they would be Earth-style mitochrondria with separate DNA from the rest of the cell, so I'm not sure we can really call them "mitochondria." (Nomenclature for exobiologists will be really strange and frustrating.)

I think that nearly all complex alien life will be built out of cells, and many will specialize their cells in similar ways to Earth organisms (muscle cells, skin cell, nerve cells, etc.), but I think it's fantastically unlikely that those cells will have internal processes and structures that are identical to those of Earth organisms, even if they operate on essentially the same chemical processes. The marvelous and very specific way our cells function is surely at least in part a unique quirk of the history and environment of early Earth evolution, and alien life almost certainly will have different (if similar) fingerprints.

But even if your cellular building blocks have differing internal structures, this may not have much of an impact on the larger-scale structures they form. You can build essentially the same Lego structures out of Tente or Meccano blocks (especially at a large scale), even if the building blocks are structured differently and are mutually incompatible.

My assumption is that all Soia-Liron organisms share the same genetic code base and consequently all have cells that are essentially the same (as the cells of most complex Earth organisms are). A Loroi can have very similar tissue and organ structure to a human, even if her cells are structured differently. Why would someone bother creating such dopplegangers, rather than just using the native organisms themselves? There are a number of reasons, but the one I'll mention is that Loroi and Barsam have some very specific advantages over their human and Nibiren counterparts, which we've talked about before.

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Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Post by Roeben »

jterlecki wrote:
Arioch wrote:And in particular, biologists looking at the Loroi genome are going to be very confused.
Would Loroi DNA contain 'artificial' nucleotide bases like P, B, Z and S from Hachimoji DNA, on top of the usual A,T,G,C ?
Check page 165, I left a summary of possibilities for "Real Life" examples. I think Arioch would be best served not going to deeply into the genetics, or maybe referencing one or two of the concepts in there, like the marker bases.

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