Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

[D-503]

Can Farseers be male or female?

According to Insider: Loroi, yes.

"Q: Do female Loroi believe/think that Loroi males are inferior/lower class?

A: Not in general; on the contrary, males enjoy relatively high status in Loroi society. Males are smaller and physically weaker than females, but since physical strength is not a Loroi strongpoint, this is not especially relevant -- in terms of valued telepathic and psychokinetic powers, a male is as likely to be powerful as a female."

[Snoofman]

Telepathic techniques only affect the conscious mind of a target, not its physical body (which includes memory). So a Mizol can't edit or erase memories, but she can temporarily affect access to memory (causing the target to temporarily forget or overlook something obvious), and suggest untrue things which the target may store as a false memory. A really skilled telepath can sometimes convince a target to bury a memory deep in the subconscious mind.

Or is the seeming mind-control more like a form of telepathic hypnosis?

Yes.

Since it seems clear that Tempo was able to conceal her movements from the Umiak, is it possible for a Mizol to convince a Loroi target mind that she is not presently occupying the same space as the target mind? Would that grant a Mizol a form of telepathic invisibility from the hypnotized Loroi?

[Arioch]

Telepathic techniques only affect the conscious mind of a target, not its physical body (which includes memory). So a Mizol can't edit or erase memories, but she can temporarily affect access to memory (causing the target to temporarily forget or overlook something obvious), and suggest untrue things which the target may store as a false memory. A really skilled telepath can sometimes convince a target to bury a memory deep in the subconscious mind.

Or is the seeming mind-control more like a form of telepathic hypnosis?

Yes.

Since it seems clear that Tempo was able to conceal her movements from the Umiak, is it possible for a Mizol to convince a Loroi target mind that she is not presently occupying the same space as the target mind? Would that grant a Mizol a form of telepathic invisibility from the hypnotized Loroi?

It's possible, but it's more difficult with a Loroi target which will have stronger mental defenses. Tempo can influence a typical Umiak target to a degree from a short distance, but the same effect on a Loroi usually requires touch, which makes disengaging without being noticed very difficult.

[Urist]

Apologies in advance if this has been asked already; I've searched through Insider and this thread and can't find a direct answer. Question is:

Is "sanzai range" a binary thing where two loroi are either in-range and can 'chat' normally/are out-of-range and can't hear each other, or is there a gradient where sanzai conversation becomes easier/clearer/faster as distance decreases until they get to physical contact and sanzai efficiency really goes through the roof?

Tempest's bridge design (and the loroi use of body language that we see, especially with Tempo on the bridge) seems to imply that a sanzai conversation still uses body language, meaning that two loroi can still 'talk' better if they're close enough to see each other/read body language. However, I haven't seen (or read) any specifics on this.

[Arioch]

Is "sanzai range" a binary thing where two loroi are either in-range and can 'chat' normally/are out-of-range and can't hear each other, or is there a gradient where sanzai conversation becomes easier/clearer/faster as distance decreases until they get to physical contact and sanzai efficiency really goes through the roof?

Tempest's bridge design (and the loroi use of body language that we see, especially with Tempo on the bridge) seems to imply that a sanzai conversation still uses body language, meaning that two loroi can still 'talk' better if they're close enough to see each other/read body language. However, I haven't seen (or read) any specifics on this.

Telepathy is analogous to speech in that it has 'volume,' and sending might be too faint to be intelligible for one receiver but not a more sensitive one; similarly, too 'loud' a broadcast might be painful or even damaging.

Loroi do use body language, both when speaking and using telepathy (and have done so in the comic). I figured this was necessary from a visual storytelling aspect, but I think it does make sense with the Loroi being very visually oriented.

[Demarquis]

Also, if the "bandwidth" of Loroi telepathy is limited, then it might make sense to be able to stroll over to someone else's workstation and just look at the screens there (mostly relevant to the deck officer, I would imagine). Computer screen data display imposes certain constraints regardless of one's method of interpersonal communication.

[Arioch]

A picture is worth a thousand words; even if telepathy has much higher bandwidth than the spoken word, visual information is still significant.

[Bamax]

Are Loroi ears strictly decorative? I say this because the outer shape of the ear matters much less than the inner ear.

On the other hand, if Loroi outer ears were able to amplify sound (much like cardboard does to a speakerbox playing music, then maybe that's what they do?

Meaning Loroi can hear slightly better... or not?

[Arioch]

Human ears seem a little unusual in that the external portion of the ear seems to do very little to improve hearing. Most mammals with good hearing have large cone-shaped external ears that direct sound into the ear, whereas ape ears don't seem to do that very well. Many such mammal ears have pointy ends, but I think that's to do with how the ears are structured and not any specific auditory value of the point.

So no, I don't think Loroi ears being pointy aids their hearing. Loroi hearing might be slightly better than humans since their ears tend to be a little larger and direct more sound into the ear, but I don't think that would be a significant or noticeable advantage.

[Bamax]

Human ears seem a little unusual in that the external portion of the ear seems to do very little to improve hearing. Most mammals with good hearing have large cone-shaped external ears that direct sound into the ear, whereas ape ears don't seem to do that very well. Many such mammal ears have pointy ends, but I think that's to do with how the ears are structured and not any specific auditory value of the point.

So no, I don't think Loroi ears being pointy aids their hearing. Loroi hearing might be slightly better than humans since their ears tend to be a little larger and direct more sound into the ear, but I don't think that would be a significant or noticeable advantage.

I found this answer to why human ears are rounded and many animal ears (especially carnivores) often are'nt to be intriguing:



Rounded ears help to focus sound waves inward, increasing fidelity at the cost of overall coverage.

Pointed ears help gather more sound, at the cost of fidelity.

Basically, humans and other primates evolved these ears because of the beginnings of language. It more more advantageous to hear exactly what sound your friend made, to be warned of a threat, than to have a slightly better idea where the threat may be if you heard yourself.


This makes sense. Dog ears are rather smooth, and they often come straight up to a person to hear them (probably to understand what they want).

Humans have the advantage of being able to tell people from a distance and them still understanding.

Of course Loroi telepathy makes this irrelavent anyway.

[Demarquis]

So their pointy ears are an evolutionary vestige? Like an appendix?

[GeoModder]

So their pointy ears are an evolutionary vestige? Like an appendix?

As far as we know, the Loroi are a designed species (by the Soia), whatever they might think of themselves.

[Bamax]

It is known that male comedians are funnier than female ones overall.

I wondered about this, so in 21st century fashion I youtubed an answer.

The answer was that men tell jokes that are not gender specific, also that women are better at empathy so even if a guy tells a joke that is specific to the male gender women have such strong empathy that they can at least imagine it and still find it amusing.

Whereas if a women tells a joke specific to the female gender (and the female comedians often do), men generally won't find it much fun because they cannot empathize with it or find it very difficult to.

So in conclusion, men and women readily appreciate male humor, but men appreciate female humor less because it is not very funny, but women at least understand it and find it funny.

My Loroi question: I presume Loroi females are no better at humor than human females no?

Because I am going to be honest, if it were possible to engineer a beautiful atheletic race of alien women who ACTUALLY were as good at humor as human men are... then they would be like... the perfect woman.

The fact that they could not reproduce would be an issue, and human females would suddenly feel VERY insecure, more than they already do. Some would even claim it's an alien scheme to make humans go extinct lol.

I guess the downside would be that nothing comes without cost (raise your humor and your empathy SHOULD go down). Which would men that such alien women would be far from perfect, and every bit as dangerous or useful as human males.

Ideally it would be cool to have an alien female with the empathy of a human woman, but with the humor capability of a man, and they would be perfect... to me.

The result? A race of alien women that simultaneously is as funny as human men AND empathetic as human women.

I don't know if there is a downside to this... probably that everyone of them would literally be at war with themselves individually since their empathy would clash with their humor/logic all the time.

I think if anything, they would be selective about what they show empathy for, and if not deserving of it they could and would shut it down and be as cold blooded as any man can be.

[Arioch]

The theory I've heard which makes more sense is that humor is an important skill in impressing a potential mate.

In Loroi the gender roles are mostly reversed, but impressing a mate is not important for either males or females, since matches are prearranged.

In any case, I don't think Loroi males are either more or less funny than Loroi females. I suppose you can judge for yourself when you see them.

[Bamax]

The theory I've heard which makes more sense is that humor is an important skill in impressing a potential mate.

In Loroi the gender roles are mostly reversed, but impressing a mate is not important for either males or females, since matches are prearranged.

In any case, I don't think Loroi males are either more or less funny than Loroi females. I suppose you can judge for yourself when you see them.

The trouble with that theory is that men will readily tell jokes with other men who they are not trying to mate with. The reason? People like being liked. Just ask the youtubers who do just about anything to get likes on youtube.

I will agree that humor is on occasion a way to attract a mate. But even in the animal world among wolves it is said that at least one of the pack acts as the comedian for stress relief of the whole pack by playing with them.

[Snoofman]

Are Loroi vulnerable to telepathic intrusion in their sleep? Is it easy for a wake/conscious Loroi to telepathically trespass into another's sleeping psyche? If so how can Loroi of high rank with sensitive information or classified knowledge sleep well?

[Arioch]

Are Loroi vulnerable to telepathic intrusion in their sleep? Is it easy for a wake/conscious Loroi to telepathically trespass into another's sleeping psyche? If so how can Loroi of high rank with sensitive information or classified knowledge sleep well?

Loroi mental defenses are less effective when asleep than when awake, but a sleeping Loroi is not completely defenseless. For starters, most defensive regimens teach the user to wake up when an intrusion is detected.

That said, secrets are very hard to keep in a telepathic society. There is very little "classified" information; fortunately, the enemy the Loroi are currently fighting is not telepathic. Where absolutely necessary, Loroi with critical secrets must be kept physically isolated.

[D-503]

Where absolutely necessary, Loroi with critical secrets must be kept physically isolated.

Sounds a bit impractical. Or does matter "shield" sanzai to certain degree? Lets say 50m of concrete or 3m of lead?

[Arioch]

Where absolutely necessary, Loroi with critical secrets must be kept physically isolated.

Sounds a bit impractical. Or does matter "shield" sanzai to certain degree? Lets say 50m of concrete or 3m of lead?

The range of normal telepathy is only a few hundred meters, and telepathic intrusion usually requires close proximity or even physical touch.

The main concern with information security is just information slipping out during normal conversation, so if there's a pressing need for secrecy, the group with that knowledge is just isolated in a separate physical location (as was done just prior to the Normandy landings in WWII -- they sealed off the invasion mustering camps). This is of course only a temporary solution. In a telepathic society, even an authoritarian one, you have to figure out how to govern and run a war mostly without any secrecy. It takes the mental discipline of a Mizol to know something important and keep it a secret.

[D-503]

I´m so free, and "shuffle" your answer a bit...

The main concern with information security is just information slipping out during normal conversation, so if there's a pressing need for secrecy, the group with that knowledge is just isolated in a separate physical location

I see.

The range of normal telepathy is only a few hundred meters, and telepathic intrusion usually requires close proximity or even physical touch.

Aside from normal telepathy - is there a possibility for eg Farseers or other Loroi equipped with "amplifiers" to break into other Loroi minds over greaater distance? Are there such devices? (i remember reading about civil war/bloodshed between Loroi - did they also commit mind-atrocities?)