Norris

[daryen]

Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
daryen wrote: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> The Darrians haven't been "Space Elves" for over twenty years.

At the risk of humor (which I indulge you here, please!), does this mean they went to rehab, and now they're Vulcan-lite?

</font>[/QUOTE]In a large way, yes. That is a somewhat facetious, but still accurate description.

In my view, the Darrians have gone through three literary (i.e. from the meta-game view, not the in-game view) phases. When first presented in Supp3, they were just the decadent remains of a fallen hi-tech society (presumably normal human). In JTAS14, they were the Space Elves (for the most part). In AM8, they took the form most people now know them as. This form has continued through all succeeding products that touch on them.

 

[daryen]

Oh, one more item. The reason for the enduring popularity of the Sword Worlders, is the greatness of the H. Beam Piper book Space Vikings on which they were very loosely modeled. (It is also likely the inspiration for the Broadsword.) While it does have its annoyances, it is still a wonderful book. Go read it right now!

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by daryen:
Now, none of this means that Norris has to be a good guy. He does have enough shades of grey and skeletons in his closet to allow you to make him as black as you want him.

Daryen,

Riffing off this and Stofsk's twist concerning the senator imprisoned aboard the Gash, how about a Man in the Iron Mask take on our favorite, portly, Judd Hirsch look-a-like(1)?

Norris' had a free clone made around 1098 or so. The materials he 'donated' to the medical boffins for Seldrian's 'birth' could easily be diverted or duplicated. Another clone is thus fashioned, male this time. It's "force grown" (if that's possible in anyone's TU) and prepped to replace Norris. The switch is made, the real Norris is replaced by the Real Norris, and the original ends aboard the Gash.

Naturally, Branj Dilgaadin would know immediately so he's outed as a psion and lobotomized.

You can then insert your PCs wherever and whenever in the plot as necessary.

Some options:

- It's a Zhodani plot, what else? The Zhos are involved through whatever deniable cut-outs they can arrange. The Clone Cabal may not even know they're working for the Zhos.

- It's internal Marches politics at the highest level. The Delphine, Santanocheev, and their Clone Cabal are in it up to their dirty necks. They've even swapped out other nobles with more pliant dopplegangers. There's a resistance to all this but things must move carefully. No one wants the story to come out as it will severely damage the prestige of the Imperium, but the plot must be dealt with quietly and the guilty brought to some secret justice.

- The players are brought into the picture by Norris' replacement. He's found out that the Clone Cabal has replaced other dopplegangers after they began to assert themselves. He worries the same may hold true for him. He wants to disappear and returning the real Norris to his place will allow the Real Norris more getaway time.

- The swap was done for the Imperium's own good. The real Norris is a complete SOB and a incompetent wretch to boot. The Real Norris is an amazing improvement and an all around swell guy. The swap was planned at the Highest Level and the lost Warrant was the mark of Strephon's approval. The Delphine and Santanocheev are either for or against the swap further muddling the picture. The players could be involved in protecting the Real Norris by finding the Warrant that will make him legitimate or in freeing the real Norris under the mistaken belief that doing so is a Good Thing.

Believe me, with this sort of meta-plot things cannot get too weird.


Have fun,
Bill

1 - L.M. Bujold did pretty much the same thing to great effect in her Vorkosigan series.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by daryen:
In a large way, yes. That is a somewhat facetious, but still accurate description.

In my view, the Darrians have gone through three literary (i.e. from the meta-game view, not the in-game view) phases. When first presented in Supp3, they were just the decadent remains of a fallen hi-tech society (presumably normal human). In JTAS14, they were the Space Elves (for the most part). In AM8, they took the form most people now know them as. This form has continued through all succeeding products that touch on them.

Aha. Okay.

Frankly, the "Space elves" derogatory term came about in our group from the pointed ears illos done for them JTAS14.

IMO, and IMTU I portray them more like a TL-16 version of the Israeli's, politically on the scene in the SM.

I felt in the landscape as presented from the OTU AM8 this wasn't too far off the mark, with the exception of their acceptance of Aslan ihatei in service for land among them. The parallels-surrounded by the territory hungry-Swordies, Flanked by Arden's growing polity (also expansionist), and their alliance with the Imperium with the Zhodani Consulate backing (in several previous Frontier Wars) the Sword Worlders, and others--added to it, their suspicion about the Zho who merely observed their recovery efforts after the Maghiz, and not a finger lifted to help added to their alignment with the 3rd Imperium.

IMTU, during the Norris Regency years (1131-1157), I took it to heart that Norris learned the lesson the Darrian's had conducted far earlier with the Aslan to a) resolve the ihatei invasion status (aka the fait d'accompli worlds), and b) to orchestrate a joint patrol with the BTC Hierate Aslan against Virus into the Quarantine service.

Yes, in the canon sources, Norris is a "good guy". He will do nasty stuff if he believes it to be absolutely necessary, but he will at least feel guilty about it later.

He is pragmatic to a fault. But, fundamentally, he is a "good guy" in the game.

Now, none of this means that Norris has to be a good guy. He does have enough shades of grey and skeletons in his closet to allow you to make him as black as you want him.

Agreed. Norris' canonical record balances out in the end, "more good than harm". His upholding what he believed was the best of the Imperium against the darkness Virus represented meant sanctioning acts which in peacetime would have been viewed as ruthless, callous, and brutal. Yes, his orders consigned an unknown number of refugees to death with shoot-on-sight orders to the RQS; yes, his orders insured millions trying to escape were condemned by fiat to a lifetime of servitude to what Virus brought with it behind the RQS quarantine zone. But he did all these things to save those he could. It shows merely the character was a human with feet of clay, no better or worse than anyone else.

He can be portrayed in any light by a GM/Ref thus, from whatever perspective and aspect of his service to the OTU region he served in because of that. Behind the Quarantine Marches (BTQ), he is venerated. On the other side of it, not so kindly.

My observations only, YMMV.

 

[kafka47]

The term "space elves" actually came about from my group when they found out the prehistoric Darrians were living in trees and lived a carefree life until the Turks came. Their love of themselves and all things beautiful made them seem self-absorbed, the fire sculpture for example.

Daryen, you seem to possess more knowledge of the Darrians than anyone else. Why don't you put these thoughts down on paper.

 

[daryen]

Part of the problem with putting too much on paper is that there is already so much on paper already.

For the single best writeup of the Darrians, go buy GT:Humaniti. It ain't the greatest book, but the Darrian writeup is excellent, as are about a third of the others. (The rest are middling to worse. Some are repetative.) However, for $10 from Warehouse 23, it is a decent buy.

Also, I have put down many of my thoughts on my Darrian webpage. I do need to update it (to include things like the literary evolution of the Darrians), but it has much of my ideas about them.

 

[Liam Devlin]

I look forward to your treatise on these and other subjects in your Spinwards States Sourcebook, daryen.

 

[mike wightman]

[tongue in cheek]The Darrians are space elves, and here is the evidence to prove it.

1. The front cover of the CT Alien Module.

2. Read the Pursuit of Knowledge section on page 3 and compare with what was written for D&D elves.

3. The picture on page 4.

4. They were genetically engineered to be superior to baseline humans and then given Orchards to live in. By a "god" whose name begins with O.

5. The picture on page 9.

6. The entire chapter on Darrian Physiology.

7. The picture on page 20.
[/tongue in cheek]