Navigator? I think you mean Farseer.Grayhome wrote:Oh, I thought she might be the navigator we have yet to meet.
Some questions about outsider
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Re: Some questions about outsider
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CaptainChaos
- Posts: 33
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Re: Some questions about outsider
I was going through the insider info dump and I had a question about Stillstorm. Just how "big" of a big shot is (or was) she in the Loroi military? Its’ been mentioned that Stillstorm was a supporter of the prior emperor and as a political enemy of the new Emperor she was basically left on frontline duty indefinitely as a way of getting rid of her; either by way of enemy fire or simply keeping her away from the corridors of powers (I’m not sure which), this seems a pretty severe means of dealing with a critic who is also a valuable military commander, so I imagine Stillstorm must have been a significant threat to the new Emperor (or Greywind just really hates her guts). If nothing else, Beryl claims that Stillstorm is one of the most illustrious and skilled commanders in their military. Lastly, if Stillstorm wasn’t that important in the Loroi military command, just how common is it for the Loroi leaders to purge political rivals and their supporters by assigning them to “dead-end” posts like this?
Re: Some questions about outsider
mr chaos: the one does not exclude the other, good combat commander, political enemy? assign her to combat duty(where her skills should be used anyway) might die which is not big loss for a politician AND keeps her out of the halls of power, it's a win win win situation as far as politicos think.
Re: Some questions about outsider
Stillstorm has long been a political opponent to the current Emperor in the sense that she opposes the Emperor's policies, but was never a "rival" in the sense of being herself a candidate for that office. However, Stillstorm's current situation is a little bit more complicated than just a case of being a political opponent.
At the time that Greywind came to power in 2140, things were going very badly for the Loroi, and there had been bitter disputes within the government about whether or not to increase the powers of the Imperial office in the name of war necessity. The Loroi Axis was a "loyal opposition" party that had traditionally opposed expansion of central authority, and so they were very much against approving emergency powers, whereas others (of whom Greywind was an outspoken example) advocated the argument that such powers were essential if the Loroi were to stand any chance of avoiding being overwhelmed by the Umiak. The previous Emperor Eighth Dawn had conservatively resisted such reforms, but when she was killed in action, there was a major political power play within the Diadem, and when the arm-twisting was over, the expansionists had won and Greywind was appointed to replace the deceased Emperor.
Knowing full well that Greywind intended to declare martial law and nationalize large sectors of the Loroi economy, a group of Axis leaders along with some loyalists of the dead Emperor (and some civilian industrial magnates who stood to lose much in such reforms) actually attempted to overthrow Greywind in the months following her accession. However, since Greywind's faction was backed by the Mizol, they knew this move was coming, and the internal conflict that ensued was short and one-sided.
Stillstorm at that time was an up-and-coming senior captain (already more than 100 years old, as most of the senior members of the officer corps then were) who was a known member of the Axis, but not a major political player and not tied directly to the revolt, so she survived the purge that followed. Afterward, Stillstorm proved a loyal and capable officer, serving with distinction under Sunfall in the controversial Tithric campaign, and though her political affiliations were never forgotten, Stillstorm continued to rise in rank and influence.
However, the catastrophe that ended the Semoset offensive in 2146 was devastating to the Loroi military, costing them nearly a third of their fleet and the cream of their officer corps. Stillstorm lost most of her comrades, including both of her daughters, and she herself sustained near-fatal injuries when her command cruiser Silver Cloud was shot out from under her in the Battle of the Tasinei Ways. She spent several years afterward recovering, during which time she was declared to be psychologically unfit for duty. At one point she cut off her own hair, which is a symbol of expulsion from the warrior class (and the reason why she currently has such short hair for so elderly a Loroi). The consensus was that she had simply been pushed past her breaking point.
At length, Stillstorm eventually recovered sufficiently to return to duty, but she had been demoted during her hiatus, and she had a great deal to prove to convince her superiors that she could still be effective. This is when she agreed to be assigned to raider duty. Stillstorm proved very effective as a raider captain, and it was not long before she was restored to her full rank of Lashret (rear admiral) and given Tempest as her flagship. However, Stillstorm was never again the same person she had been before Semoset. Her personality had become brittle; she gained a reputation for harshness bordering on cruelty, and was sometimes given to erratic behavior or taking seemingly unnecessary risks. She also became more vocal in her opposition to the actions of Greywind's government. This together with her excellent performance in her current assignment made her superiors reluctant to promote or reassign her. So she remained on raider duty, surviving against the odds year after year and racking up statistics that made her legend grow, even among the Umiak. But even this legendary status began to work against her, as it fed the whispers that had first begun when she survived the loss of Silver Cloud that she was bad luck (that is, draining luck from those around her) and that to be assigned under her was a death sentence.
At the time that Greywind came to power in 2140, things were going very badly for the Loroi, and there had been bitter disputes within the government about whether or not to increase the powers of the Imperial office in the name of war necessity. The Loroi Axis was a "loyal opposition" party that had traditionally opposed expansion of central authority, and so they were very much against approving emergency powers, whereas others (of whom Greywind was an outspoken example) advocated the argument that such powers were essential if the Loroi were to stand any chance of avoiding being overwhelmed by the Umiak. The previous Emperor Eighth Dawn had conservatively resisted such reforms, but when she was killed in action, there was a major political power play within the Diadem, and when the arm-twisting was over, the expansionists had won and Greywind was appointed to replace the deceased Emperor.
Knowing full well that Greywind intended to declare martial law and nationalize large sectors of the Loroi economy, a group of Axis leaders along with some loyalists of the dead Emperor (and some civilian industrial magnates who stood to lose much in such reforms) actually attempted to overthrow Greywind in the months following her accession. However, since Greywind's faction was backed by the Mizol, they knew this move was coming, and the internal conflict that ensued was short and one-sided.
Stillstorm at that time was an up-and-coming senior captain (already more than 100 years old, as most of the senior members of the officer corps then were) who was a known member of the Axis, but not a major political player and not tied directly to the revolt, so she survived the purge that followed. Afterward, Stillstorm proved a loyal and capable officer, serving with distinction under Sunfall in the controversial Tithric campaign, and though her political affiliations were never forgotten, Stillstorm continued to rise in rank and influence.
However, the catastrophe that ended the Semoset offensive in 2146 was devastating to the Loroi military, costing them nearly a third of their fleet and the cream of their officer corps. Stillstorm lost most of her comrades, including both of her daughters, and she herself sustained near-fatal injuries when her command cruiser Silver Cloud was shot out from under her in the Battle of the Tasinei Ways. She spent several years afterward recovering, during which time she was declared to be psychologically unfit for duty. At one point she cut off her own hair, which is a symbol of expulsion from the warrior class (and the reason why she currently has such short hair for so elderly a Loroi). The consensus was that she had simply been pushed past her breaking point.
At length, Stillstorm eventually recovered sufficiently to return to duty, but she had been demoted during her hiatus, and she had a great deal to prove to convince her superiors that she could still be effective. This is when she agreed to be assigned to raider duty. Stillstorm proved very effective as a raider captain, and it was not long before she was restored to her full rank of Lashret (rear admiral) and given Tempest as her flagship. However, Stillstorm was never again the same person she had been before Semoset. Her personality had become brittle; she gained a reputation for harshness bordering on cruelty, and was sometimes given to erratic behavior or taking seemingly unnecessary risks. She also became more vocal in her opposition to the actions of Greywind's government. This together with her excellent performance in her current assignment made her superiors reluctant to promote or reassign her. So she remained on raider duty, surviving against the odds year after year and racking up statistics that made her legend grow, even among the Umiak. But even this legendary status began to work against her, as it fed the whispers that had first begun when she survived the loss of Silver Cloud that she was bad luck (that is, draining luck from those around her) and that to be assigned under her was a death sentence.
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CaptainChaos
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:38 am
Re: Some questions about outsider
thanks for the reply and background information on Stillstorm Arioch! No surprise that Stillstorm is a bit harsh given what we've seen in the comic. But i wonder what will happen when she shows her cruel side - short answer nothing good for the Umiak!