Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

[Hālian]

Interesting.

2015... was just 20 years after the civil war that brought Eighth Dawn to power and restored central control to the empire.

The loroi timeline says that was in the 1790s, not the 1990s.

[Hālian]

Also, could you tell us more about the Interspecies Convention?

[Arioch]

2015... was just 20 years after the civil war that brought Eighth Dawn to power and restored central control to the empire.

The loroi timeline says that was in the 1790s, not the 1990s.

Right you are. Misread me own timeline. So the Loroi fleet hadn't fought anybody for quite some time in 2015.

Also, could you tell us more about the Interspecies Convention?

The Interspecies Convention was an international group with ambitions of being a sort of League of Nations, that first met in 1311 right after the Loroi colonization of Maia, when tensions were running high between the Neridi, Pipolsid and Mannadi, and the Loroi and Mannadi were at war with the Nissek. The Convention met regularly and included delegates from all of the known independent nations at that time (Loroi, Neridi, Pipolsid, Mannadi, Barsam, Nissek, and Arekka). Like most such international organizations, the Convention had no real independent authority, because none of the powerful nations was willing to cede its individual sovereignty.

The Convention failed to prevent the Loroi-Mannadi wars, but that didn't stop them from continuing to meet. After the end of the third war when the Loroi occupation of Mannadi territory started to get really nasty, the Convention was able to rally international public opinion to pressure the Loroi to stop. Azerein Loremark did not respond positively to this pressure, and it looked for a moment as if there would be a general war. The compromised that was reached was the formation of the Loroi Union, in which, essentially, the other races agreed to live in a Loroi-dominated system, in return for having the Loroi refrain from killing everyone that they didn't like. The Convention was dissolved and replaced by the Union Assembly.

[Mr.Tucker]

2015... was just 20 years after the civil war that brought Eighth Dawn to power and restored central control to the empire.

The loroi timeline says that was in the 1790s, not the 1990s.

Right you are. Misread me own timeline. So the Loroi fleet hadn't fought anybody for quite some time in 2015.

Also, could you tell us more about the Interspecies Convention?

The Interspecies Convention was an international group with ambitions of being a sort of League of Nations, that first met in 1311 right after the Loroi colonization of Maia, when tensions were running high between the Neridi, Pipolsid and Mannadi, and the Loroi and Mannadi were at war with the Nissek. The Convention met regularly and included delegates from all of the known independent nations at that time (Loroi, Neridi, Pipolsid, Mannadi, Barsam, Nissek, and Arekka). Like most such international organizations, the Convention had no real independent authority, because none of the powerful nations was willing to cede its individual sovereignty.

The Convention failed to prevent the Loroi-Mannadi wars, but that didn't stop them from continuing to meet. After the end of the third war when the Loroi occupation of Mannadi territory started to get really nasty, the Convention was able to rally international public opinion to pressure the Loroi to stop. Azerein Loremark did not respond positively to this pressure, and it looked for a moment as if there would be a general war. The compromised that was reached was the formation of the Loroi Union, in which, essentially, the other races agreed to live in a Loroi-dominated system, in return for having the Loroi refrain from killing everyone that they didn't like. The Convention was dissolved and replaced by the Union Assembly.

Hmm....interesting. I thought the Nissek did not involve themselves. Was that a shooting war? Also, the other species giving up their independence sound a bit of to me. After all, if the Loroi were afraid enough to consent, that means they could do some damage. Sound like they just surrendered before the war even started (talking about the Union races).

[Arioch]

Hmm....interesting. I thought the Nissek did not involve themselves. Was that a shooting war?

The Loroi participation in the Mannadi-Nissek war did not involve any direct combat of Loroi forces, but it was a "shooting war" for the Mannadi. The Nissek had also fought real wars with the Barsam and the Ninnil peoples on the other side of Nissek territory. The Nissek have on numerous occasions attempted to take neighboring territory by force, though mostly unsuccessfully on the now-Union side of space.

Also, the other species giving up their independence sound a bit of to me. After all, if the Loroi were afraid enough to consent, that means they could do some damage. Sound like they just surrendered before the war even started (talking about the Union races).

At this point the Loroi had become the lone superpower of the region; the Neridi and Pipolsid were staunch allies, and the Loroi were currently at war with the Arekka and fighting an insurgency against the surrendered Mannadi (who were being wiped out). The Barsam and Nissek were strong nations, but no match for the new Loroi empire. No one had any stomach for war with the Loroi; it would have meant almost certain defeat, and history had shown that defeat by the Loroi meant complete subjugation or worse. The odds would not have been attractive even if they had all banded together, which would never have happened -- the Barsam and Nissek hated each other, and the Neridi and Pipolsid governments would never have turned on their longtime allies and benefactors. When the Interspecies Convention made noises about war crimes tribunals, Azerein Loremark knew it was a bluff and called it. The Loroi had little desire for further conquest, but were very cranky after a century of war with the Mannadi, and were not to be trifled with. The Loroi take perceived betrayal very seriously, and they don't do things by half-measures.

Since the Neridi and Pipolsid were already essentially client states, and the Arekka and Mannadi were already beaten and facing occupation or extermination, the only nation that lost some independence in joining the Union was the Barsam, who were instrumental in making the deal work. Though it was the Barsam who had objected most strongly to the Loroi "war crimes," the Barsam abhor violence and so were not eager to fight a war that they would almost certainly lose. When faced with a growing militaristic empire and the danger of a widening war, it seemed sensible to the Barsam to use what peaceful diplomatic influence they had with the Loroi and their allies to end the war and convert the empire into some semblance of an international representational government. And from the Barsam point of view, the Union was a success; the war was ended, the Arekka and Mannadi were spared from further occupation and extinction, those living in the Loroi shadow gained a formal say in the affairs of the state, and the pacifistic Barsam were not overly sorry to have to give up the larger part of their defense forces. The Nissek did not formally join the Union, and so the only thing they gave up was their ambition of further expansion into the Local Bubble, which they had already long since decided was impractical.

[Sweforce]

I guess that this is more or less one of those questions that can be answered with a yes or no while I supply a theory.

Pointy ears, why does the loroi have them? Well it is my understanding that the Soia at some point investigated life on earth and cracked the code for how DNA works. Armed with this they probably used a translation program to translate human DNA to Soia-liron genetic code. When you are at it, prior to conversion you better remove lots of junk code and debug the genome. During this process they found that humans indeed have the genetic code for pointed ears, like most earth mammals have. Primates, of some reason however have lost their pointed ears, probably due to a bug that prevent the pointed ears from forming. Traces of this can be seen in people that actually DO have somewhat pointed ears when some of the code is active. The soia noticed the bug that shut of the "pointy ears" genes in primates and fixed the bug. Hench why the loroi have pointy ears. Or maybe it was just Xabat having a fetish

[Arioch]

Pointy ears, why does the loroi have them?

There's no way for anyone to know.

[dragoongfa]

They have pointy ears because Arioch thinks they are cool, sexy and wanted space elves in the story

[Namaphry]

The Soia-Liron empire fell a very, very long time ago, at a time when there were still several species of humans on Earth, and modern humans were neither the most dominant nor the most widespread. So, if the Loroi genome is based on a human species, it could have been a psi-powered, pointy-eared race we drove to extinction a hundred thousand years ago! After all, why mess around with the formation of giant heads when nature can do it for you?

[Onaiom]

If you put Alex, Stillstorm and 10 Golim in a room, they would try to kill Alex ?

[Grayhome]

What do the Nissek, Umiak and Historians think of the Soia?

[Razor One]

How did the Loroi come to grips with diplomatic immunity? A bit of casual reading indicates some interesting history and development from ancient times to modernity and is a fascinating read, and I imagine the Loroi would have a similarly fascinating background behind the concept.

[Hālian]

Will we get to see a lot of the historians in Outsider?

What is the possibility of doing a sequel or spinoff comic if/whenever Outsider is finished? (Maybe something like TdSmR? :3)

[Arioch]

If you put Alex, Stillstorm and 10 Golim in a room, they would try to kill Alex ?

If Golim were in a room with a Loroi who was enraged and contemplating violence, they might be moved to attack the target of her anger. If the target was also Loroi, this might present a problem.

What do the Nissek, Umiak and Historians think of the Soia?

Nissek are typical in that they had knowledge of the existence of precursor empires (through their ruins and artifacts), but little detailed information on them, and so these elements were worked into local myths and legends. They now recognize these myths for what they are, and have no particular favored view as to who the Soia really were. The Nissek are not particularly impressed by Loroi/Barsam/Neridi or Delrias/Morat claims of being scions of ancient empires.

The Umiak think of the Soia as alien agents who helped their ancient oppressors to keep them in slavery. The Umiak see no reason to disbelieve the Loroi claim of Soia ancestry, and hold this fact against the Loroi.

The Historians collect information but disseminate very little, and in particular avoid the subject of the precursor empires, and so their views on the Soia are not generally known. When asked, they have denied being related to the Soia themselves.

How did the Loroi come to grips with diplomatic immunity? A bit of casual reading indicates some interesting history and development from ancient times to modernity and is a fascinating read, and I imagine the Loroi would have a similarly fascinating background behind the concept.

The Loroi observe rules of treatment and privileges regarding diplomats, but they do not recognize blanket immunity. Consider that the Loroi diplomatic corps is also the one that conducts espionage and covert operations; they do not view diplomats as being sacrosanct.

The rights of diplomats and citizens of the various Union nations are established by treaty but are typically bilateral and asymmetrical; for example, if any Loroi of the warrior class (not just a diplomat) commits a crime in non-Loroi Union territory, the nation can request extradition, but the Loroi may refuse it and require that the case be brought in Loroi courts. (This was, unsurprisingly, to avoid foreign war-crimes trials.) But, in most cases, if a diplomat committed a crime in foreign territory, he or she would not be immune from some form of prosecution.

Treaties with non-Union nations (such as the Nissek) vary, as does the issue of diplomatic privilege. Many nations, especially in the current war, have no such treaties; the Loroi has no formal diplomatic contact with the Umiak or their allies, or with Humanity for that matter. If Alex were to commit a crime, he could be tried and punished for it.

Will we get to see a lot of the historians in Outsider?

Depends on what you mean by "see a lot of." The Historians do play a central role in the story.

What is the possibility of doing a sequel or spinoff comic if/whenever Outsider is finished? (Maybe something like TdSmR? :3)

I do have an idea for a possible follow-on story that takes place in the same setting but in a later era and follows different characters. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

[dragoongfa]

Regarding diplomatic immunity, which is a subject that I have some passive interest in. High ranking diplomats do have blanket immunity but they are expected to adhere to certain high standards of behavior and that immunity can be wavered, and is wavered more often than not, if the diplomat does something extremely stupid (unlike how the media portrayal may paint stuff); immunity generally covers minor offenses, for big offenses the immunity is expected to be wavered by the nation the diplomat belongs to because the diplomatic repercussions can and will be severe.

Remember that the immunity itself isn't to the person but to the office that this person holds and as such high standards of behavior must be adhered.

[Argron]

This has probably been answered, but I couldn't find it, and I've looked a ton of pages in this thread.
How long can Loroi extend their lives artificially, is 400 years an already artificial extension of their lifes or specially valuable individuals receive superior medical treatment?
What about the other races? so far I only remember information about the Umiak, who apparently don't request it, and only take life extension treatments when asked to.

[Arioch]

How long can Loroi extend their lives artificially, is 400 years an already artificial extension of their lifes or specially valuable individuals receive superior medical treatment?
What about the other races? so far I only remember information about the Umiak, who apparently don't request it, and only take life extension treatments when asked to.

400 is the lifespan without artificial extension. Some Loroi can and do live much longer through artificial methods, but most Loroi of the warrior class die before 400 from other causes.

Artificial life extension is available to all races with sufficient technology. It just gets more expensive the longer one's life is artificially extended.

[Suederwind]

Will Alex meet Loroi that are much older than 400 years?
Members of which cast would most commonly get such an artificial life extension?

[Arioch]

Will Alex meet Loroi that are much older than 400 years?

I'm not 100% sure whether it will make it into the story, but probably yes.

Members of which cast would most commonly get such an artificial life extension?

Listel.

[Namaphry]

I'm hesitant to ask this sort of question, but I am really curious, what was Stillstorm like when she was Beryl's age? Would we have recognized her?