Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

[Sweforce]

I noticed from the insider that the loroi got this ship class:

Hidden Dagger
"Saboide"
Class: Scout
Length: 150 m
Crew: 45
Screens: Class I
Max. Acceleration: 34 G
Armor Rating: 33
ECM Rating: 150

Weapon Mounts
02x3 Laser Autocannon

Is that to fulfill the same type or missions as the Terran Bennet class or is it more of a picket vessel? It does not say "long range scout" like the Bennet do, so even if it's range should be even longer then the Bennet's it does not appear to be designed to have it's range extended in comparison to other loroi ships. So if the loroi decided they need to get exploring faraway places again (by their own standard), would this one be up to the task? This also lead to the possibility that Terran plus their captured Orgus astrogation data would be valuable information.

[Arioch]

The Hidden Dagger is a minimal jump-capable corvette used mainly for "let's peek at the neighboring system" type duty. If they needed an armed long-range scout, the Loroi would probably use a frigate or larger vessel.

[dragoongfa]

Kind of ridiculous question but you brought this on yourself in the other thread

What kind of amenities does a Loroi bathroom have and are they as clean as the ones our females use?

Yes, I did clean latrines in my time in the army, no it wasn't pretty and they did stink to high heaven. Especially when they were clogged.

[Razor One]

They're probably largely the same, only they have perfected the three seashells.

[GeoModder]

They're probably largely the same, only they have perfected the three seashells.

Beryl: "You don't know how to use the three seashells?"
*snort*

[Arioch]

What kind of amenities does a Loroi bathroom have and are they as clean as the ones our females use?

Toilets will be very recognizable (form follows fuction), though there's no need for a liftable seat -- any male using one would be required to sit down. The toilet on the shuttle is small, spartan, and has suction. Fortunately, we will not have to see it in use. The Loroi are fastidious by nature and only eat once per day, so the facilities are usually kept clean.

Loroi washrooms are more elaborate. It usually consists of a recognizable mirror and bank of sinks, but with additional facilities for primping supplies. Some have chairs so that they can really spend some effort doing each others' hair.

Wash facilities usually have both shower stalls and a communal bath. Since the bath water is shared, one is expected to wash before getting in.

[peragrin]

What kind of amenities does a Loroi bathroom have and are they as clean as the ones our females use?

Toilets will be very recognizable (form follows fuction), though there's no need for a liftable seat -- any male using one would be required to sit down. The toilet on the shuttle is small, spartan, and has suction. Fortunately, we will not have to see it in use. The Loroi are fastidious by nature and only eat once per day, so the facilities are usually kept clean.

Loroi washrooms are more elaborate. It usually consists of a recognizable mirror and bank of sinks, but with additional facilities for primping supplies. Some have chairs so that they can really spend some effort doing each others' hair.

Wash facilities usually have both shower stalls and a communal bath. Since the bath water is shared, one is expected to wash before getting in.

The liftable seat in a toilet isn't there for the function you believe it to be. the liftable seat is there so you can clean under it without taking it off.

[JQBogus]

I thought it was there so you didn't have to sit on the frigid porcelain. And once it is there, you make it hinge up so you can clean under it.

[Gorbash]

I apologize if these have been asked previously:

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Its been discussed previously that Loroi do not experience much of a reaction to public speaking given they rarely use speech for anything other than utilitarian communication. What about music?

There's evidence that music can affect a listener's emotions and concentration without speech (classical music being a good example), and that music and sounds reminiscent of animal noises or "natural sounds" such as thunder can trigger specific emotional responses (hence part of why people hate the sound of nails scraping across a chalkboard). Are the Loroi also affected by this? Would a particularly sad, energetic, or aggressive piece have a similar effect on a Loroi listener as it does on a human? Do the Loroi have their own music?

Would a Loroi rock out to heavy metal?

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How does Loroi guerrilla warfare work? Are they as focused on strapped-together ingenuity as we are, or do they favor tactics that fit better with their conservative, long-term approach to society?

[Arioch]

Its been discussed previously that Loroi do not experience much of a reaction to public speaking given they rarely use speech for anything other than utilitarian communication. What about music?

The various Loroi sub-cultures produce a variety of music, but it is mostly non-vocal. I think the human affinity for music may have something to do with music's important role in early preliterate storytelling (the early epic poems such as the Iliad were sung), and this would not have been the case for Loroi music, which would be mostly ritual, martial, or simply for listening pleasure. Music can evoke emotion in Loroi, but I think this musical connection would probably not be as strong as it is in humans.

If you search this thread for my posts mentioning "loroi music" you can find a little bit more.

Would a Loroi rock out to heavy metal?

Anything is possible. Some Loroi do listen to alien music.

How does Loroi guerrilla warfare work? Are they as focused on strapped-together ingenuity as we are, or do they favor tactics that fit better with their conservative, long-term approach to society?

It would depend on who they were fighting, and under what circumstances. An important advantage that a Loroi insurgent can have is that she may have potent telepathic or telekinetic weapons while still being indistinguishable from an unarmed civilian.

At some points in Deinar history the Loroi preferred a more ritualized European style of warfare, but in other periods they resorted to no-holds-barred Genghis Khan total war. The Loroi are conservative, but also pragmatic, and will adapt when the situation calls for it.

During the early stages of the Umiak occupation of the Steppes colonies, the Loroi employed a successful resistance in which Teidar & Mizol-led units would strike and then blend in among the captured civilian population. Once the Umiak switched into extermination mode, Loroi tactics became more about hiding and survival than offensive capability.

[Sweforce]

During the early stages of the Umiak occupation of the Steppes colonies, the Loroi employed a successful resistance in which Teidar & Mizol-led units would strike and then blend in among the captured civilian population. Once the Umiak switched into extermination mode, Loroi tactics became more about hiding and survival than offensive capability.

This is a sure way to piss of an occupying power. Insurgents hiding among civilians are what made the war in Iraq and Afghanistan so difficult. It may also have led to why the umiak went into extermination mode when they realised that controlling the population wasn't possible. By the values of our own culture right now "blending in with the population" constitutes a war crime". But then again, that is our rules for the present, we cannot demand that the loroi would follow them, they of course have their own rules of engagement.

For the loroi's non verbal music. I can see music performances, with live music or by recorded music have a "sanzai singer" added to the mix. I can also see skilled sanzai artists becoming famous for their skill and as such, I would say that the loroi indeed sing, just not verbally. The culture with a few artists making mass sales of record would only work for the background music thou, much of the "singing" could then be a "mental sing along".

[Arioch]

By the values of our own culture right now "blending in with the population" constitutes a war crime".

Not so. Soldiers concealing their identity with civilian clothing (or even enemy uniforms) is not a war crime; it is considered a legitimate "ruse of war." However, a soldier caught out of uniform behind enemy lines loses his right to be treated as a prisoner of war, and so can potentially be charged and punished under the laws of the nation in question.

It is a war crime to engage in combat or perform an assassination while in enemy uniform or under enemy insignia, but I cannot find any such prohibition against fighting in civilian clothes. Especially since almost every resistance force has done this in almost every war since the invention of uniforms. But again, such combatants forfeit the protections of prisoner of war status.

And of course, as you mention, Earth's rules of war are not binding on alien powers.

[Onaiom]

What could be considered a crime in a Loroi Nation (for example, Zaral ) that would not be considered a crime in a Human Nation (United States) ? And/or vice versa ?

Loroi citizens are allowed to travel (pleasure trips, camping, safari) ?

What a Loroi house looks like ?

You said Loroi males live in monasteries with their caretakers. How often they have sex (males with their caretakers)? Is it even allowed ?

[Arioch]

What could be considered a crime in a Loroi Nation (for example, Zaral ) that would not be considered a crime in a Human Nation (United States) ? And/or vice versa ?

The Loroi have a lot of rules, so there are plenty of examples of the first case. The easy example is that in Zaral (and many Loroi nations) it's illegal for male and female adults to have sex without permission.

In Zaral (and many Loroi nations) it is legal for a parent or guardian to have her child who is still a minor put to death. A reason is not required, but without a really good one the parent will usually not be allowed the opportunity to have another child.

Loroi citizens are allowed to travel (pleasure trips, camping, safari) ?

Travel is not prohibited. It's not common, as most civilian Loroi tend to be insular and don't travel far from their place of birth, their lives (and sometimes currency) being tied to their local guilds.

What a Loroi house looks like ?

Not much different from human homes. City Loroi live in large buildings, and country Loroi live in small houses.

You said Loroi males live in monasteries with their caretakers. How often they have sex (males with their caretakers)? Is it even allowed ?

It happens -- if one of the lecherous little buggers grabs you, you're not supposed to say no -- but there are rules. If a female caretaker monopolizes too much of her charge's time and energy, or gets pregnant, this is usually grounds for dismissal. Some orders require that the caretakers be sterilized (which, at this tech level, is reversible). The caretakers tend to be older, well-disciplined Loroi who already have adult children.

[dragoongfa]

In Zaral (and many Loroi nations) it is legal for a parent or guardian to have her child who is still a minor put to death. A reason is not required, but without a really good one the parent will usually not be allowed the opportunity to have another child.

Is the invocation of this rule rare or commonplace?

Are certain specialized castes, like the Teidar, allowed to intervene in order to secure a prospect for their ranks in case there is not a justified reason?

[Arioch]

In Zaral (and many Loroi nations) it is legal for a parent or guardian to have her child who is still a minor put to death. A reason is not required, but without a really good one the parent will usually not be allowed the opportunity to have another child.

Is the invocation of this rule rare or commonplace?

It's very rare. It's evolutionarily disadvantageous to exterminate one's own offspring. This rule is normally only invoked in the case of deformity or incorrigible mental instability.

The Loroi legal system makes guardians culpable for the crimes of minors. Accordingly, there is zero tolerance for deviance or juvenile delinquency. Telepathy offer excellent tools for therapy to bring deviants in line, but those who do not respond to treatment are destroyed. If not by the guardians, then by the state (after the guardians are convicted of negligence).

I'd like to point out that this is not my idea of an ideal society; rather, it's what I think is the logical outcome of the rules that have been set for the Loroi.

Are certain specialized castes, like the Teidar, allowed to intervene in order to secure a prospect for their ranks in case there is not a justified reason?

On the contrary, an insane psychokinetic is more likely to be euthanized than any other sort of deviant. Public safety simply cannot tolerate an insane person who can kill with a thought, regardless of her youth. Naturally, every reasonable effort will be made to cure such a valuable individual, but this kind of deviance can turn lethal very quickly.

But again, this rule applies only to minors. Once a warrior child has reached the age of about six, she enters the caste system and is essentially out of the hands of the parent/guardian.

[dragoongfa]

In Zaral (and many Loroi nations) it is legal for a parent or guardian to have her child who is still a minor put to death. A reason is not required, but without a really good one the parent will usually not be allowed the opportunity to have another child.

Is the invocation of this rule rare or commonplace?

It's very rare. It's evolutionarily disadvantageous to exterminate one's own offspring. This rule is normally only invoked in the case of deformity or incorrigible mental instability.

The Loroi legal system makes guardians culpable for the crimes of minors. Accordingly, there is zero tolerance for deviance or juvenile delinquency. Telepathy offer excellent tools for therapy to bring deviants in line, but those who do not respond to treatment are destroyed. If not by the guardians, then by the state (after the guardians are convicted of negligence).

I'd like to point out that this is not my idea of an ideal society; rather, it's what I think is the logical outcome of the rules that have been set for the Loroi.

Are certain specialized castes, like the Teidar, allowed to intervene in order to secure a prospect for their ranks in case there is not a justified reason?

On the contrary, an insane psychokinetic is more likely to be euthanized than any other sort of deviant. Public safety simply cannot tolerate an insane person who can kill with a thought, regardless of her youth. Naturally, every reasonable effort will be made to cure such a valuable individual, but this kind of deviance can turn lethal very quickly.

But again, this rule applies only to minors. Once a warrior child has reached the age of about six, she enters the caste system and is essentially out of the hands of the parent/guardian.

That's more benign than what I first thought and understandable when one considers how dangerous a telepath can be to other telepaths.

My second question had more to do with a parent/guarding invoking the rule as a personal whim and not for someone who has irreversible defects. If this happened I would expect someone to try to stop it, especially if the child had rare and highly sought out telepathic or telekinetic talents.

[Suederwind]

Arioch, you said that some Loroi like to listen to music, but what other recreational things do civilian or warrior Loroi in their free time?
Are they allowed to have hobbies of some kind? Like sports, arts, etc...?
You mentioned their old storys, are those commonly read by the Loroi, like we read books in our free time, or is this more some kind of "religious thing" they do only on special occations like holidays?

Its more than understandable that they can't allow someone, who is mad and can kill with her thoughts, to live on. However, did I understood it right, that their guardians are expected to kill handicapped children? If yes, I wonder what Loroi would think about human society in that regard.
Do such rules also apply to the Loroi males?

[Grayhome]

Just to clarify, what constitutes deviant behavior? I wonder how Fireblade slipped through the cracks.

[Razor One]

On the contrary, an insane psychokinetic is more likely to be euthanized than any other sort of deviant. Public safety simply cannot tolerate an insane person who can kill with a thought, regardless of her youth. Naturally, every reasonable effort will be made to cure such a valuable individual, but this kind of deviance can turn lethal very quickly.

But again, this rule applies only to minors. Once a warrior child has reached the age of about six, she enters the caste system and is essentially out of the hands of the parent/guardian.

Reminds me of some of the more extreme methods to control dangerous telekinetics (IE, All of them) from Shinsekai Yori. Said methods ranged from cultural taboos, thorough education, hypnosis and outright brainwashing. Failure was rewarded with death, as were marginal grades or deviation from the norm. The result is that a majority of the cast fail to make it to adulthood and that you're lead to believe that the methods are extreme and barbaric... right up until you see what happens when those methods fail. Even adults are more or less subject to the same rules, though that's to be expected when everyone more or less has the telekinetic version of a pocket nuke ready to blow at any time.

Amazing series. Thoroughly recommend it.