RE: The Kra'Vak

Er, John...That was me.  Sorry, Tony, I've got to claim the 
'surrender/switch' as my own :).  Anyway, no hard feelings - it's
difficult 
to keep track of all of this sometimes.  And work still progresses on
the 
'surrender/switch' Kra'Vak...

Noah

-----Original Message-----
From:	John Atkinson [SMTP:jatkins6@ix.netcom.com]
Sent:	Tuesday, October 06, 1998 10:51 AM
To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
Subject:	Re: The Kra'Vak

You wrote:

>The Kra'Vak operate on a clan system based on familial units. They've
been >coming up from somewhere in the Galactic core. No one knows hold

>about how they communicate or what their motivations are). There's no
telling so >much how big a "Clan" is. Though each clan's ground forces
are small in number.
>They are a  hunter race. They're clan structure leads to much strife
within >clans and they are as apt to fight each other as they are apt
to fight each >other as aliens.

>It would seem that this kind of cultural would have several inherent
drawbacks >to prosecuting major wars. First off, the Clan system seems
quite fragmented, >what with all the interclan squabbling going on.

I know this is an old topic, but I've been sitting back and watching.
Tony Wilkinson and I exchanged some e-mails on this topic a while back
and the Kra'Vak that emerged are an interesting bunch.

Yes, they are an agressive species, even against other clans.  This is
mitigated by a strong "surrender/switch" reflex.  When a Kra'Vak is in
such a bad situation that further resistance is futile, they will, as
individuals or as groups, surrender and switch sides.  This has the
effect of limiting the damage inter-clan warfare does.	This carries no
stigma for the defectors--in a larger or richer clan, they may need to
work for additional priviledges, but a smaller clan may immediately put
them in action-perhaps in the same battle.  Culturally they are largely
innocent of betreyal, treason, or use of flase surrender/switches.
These reflexes are the glue that prevents species annihilation and
violators of this code are generally hunted down by all sides.
Leaders are also checked by this reflex--if a leader is doing truly
poorly, his followers/subjects may pack up and leave.  This is again,
normal and accepted.
They will have deep problems with the human concept of fighting to the
last man without considering surrender.
This urge to limit the devestation caused by inter-clan conflict also
explains their prediliction for kinetic weapons as opposed to
beam--limits collateral damage.  Kra'Vak have a very long period of
'adolescence' where the K is not fully mature.	Thise pre-sexual K make
up most of the "enlisted" elements of their armed forces.  They are
competing for the right to progress to full sexual maturity, based on
the reccomendations of their superior "officers".

John M. Atkinson