Re: [GZG] [Aliens] was Re: FMA at EEC etc

On 2/27/07, Roger Books <roger.books@gmail.com> wrote:
> Um, but, who wants to play, um, snails?  That's it, snails.

They may be vaguely snailish in their appearance, but their skins
change colours like an octopus or squid.

> I have
> no idea what motivates them.	Maybe if there was some good backstory I
might
> be
> interested.  As it is I don't care about either race.

I have a sizable backstory section in the Phalon beta test rules.
Besides the physiology portion (their three-lobed eye acts as a
polarizing filter), and the technology section, I included a Social
Structure section.

Here it is:

Phalon Social Structure

Phalon family life is more complicated than humans. They do not mate
for life, but they do form clan bonds. A clan consists of members of
the breeding sexes ("breeders") that have mated amongst each other,
and their offspring (both breeder and mule). Often two members of a
clan have no genetic connection between each other. The closest
analogy in human society is that that of two human couples who have
children, get divorced and then remarry. These two extended families
(consisting of a father, a mother, a step-father, a step-mother, and
the resulting offspring) would constitute a small Phalon clan. Since
Phalon breeders mate more promiscuously than humans, these clans can
become rather large and genetically diverse. The clan as a whole takes
care of the hatchlings. Phalons have an attachment with other members
of their clan, but Phalon opportunistic tendencies mean that one or
more breeders may splinter from a clan and form a new clan, taking
several mules along with them.

Mating within a clan is the most common form of bonding between males
and females, but the bonding of breeding couples from two different
clans is almost as common. This usually occurs when a male or female
leaves one clan to join with another. Relatively rare – but not
unheard of – is a breeding pair leaving their clan or clans to form a
brand new clan. Usually they take mules from one or both clans with
them, both for protection and for breeding purposes. This new clan may
or may not have strong ties to the old clan. The rarest of all clan
connections is when the male is from one clan, the female from
another, and one or more mules are from a third. This usually occurs
as part of a political negotiation to cement relations between all
three clans.

The breeding sexes tend to be more individually opportunistic than the
mules, though all genders show a level of opportunism that many humans
find appalling. The mules are the protectors of the clan. This is an
offshoot of their physiology. Mules do not contribute to the gene
pool, but they are vital for egg fertilization. Only one individual
mule is needed to begin the fertilization process, so mules are
interchangeable at the clan level. They tend to be bigger and more
powerful, so they can throw themselves at an enemy in order to protect
the clan. As long as one mule survives along with a breeding pair, the
clan can survive and grow. Mules have a strong sense of protection
toward any breeder, while breeders see individual mules as expendable.
Since mules controlled which eggs could be fertilized and which
couldn't, they were able to use this ability to exert authority over
individual breeders within a clan. Mules saw an advantage in mules
banding together within a clan. Other breeders saw the advantage in
courting the favour of mules. This was the beginning of a
Machiavellian society of internecine competition within a structure of
mutual cooperation.

Like human society, much of Phalon history is filled with conflict
between races and religions, as well as between neighbouring clans.
Racial rifts in Phalon society healed comparatively quickly compared
to similar rifts in human society. The Phalon embrace of opportunism
overrode any prejudice based on something as trivially cosmetic as
carapace shape, or a perceived difference in behaviour.

Similarly, religious strife was less widespread and not as long
lasting in Phalon society as it was (is) in Terran society. Phalon
religions have a strong tendency toward ancestor worship. The number 3
is considered lucky by many Phalon faiths, as it features prominently
in their eyes and in the number of sexes. Phalon religions tend to be
fairly flexible. New sects form, and existing sects amalgamate, with
little difficulty. However, if there is anything that will cause the
usually pragmatic Phalons to act against their best interest or the
interest of a clan, it is religion.

The head of a clan has dictatorial powers and is usually surrounded by
a support group of functionaries and bodyguards. Similar structures in
human history usually resulted in corrupt regimes, downtrodden masses
and a bloody overthrow. Not so in Phalon society. Phalons are
traditionally nomadic, so they tend not to be connected to any one
location. Being nomadic there is less likelihood that the "downtrodden
masses" wouldn't just walk away from a cruel leader. The Phalon
homeworld had many predators that preyed on Phalons. There was safety
in numbers, so a cruel dictator would eventually find itself alone and
unprotected. Since Phalon societal connections are dynamic, there were
fewer artificial conditions legitimizing one ruler over another. The
concepts of "divine right" and "right of birth" are foreign to
Phalons. Breeders needed the willing participation of mules to
continue the bloodline, and mules that rose to positions of power were
physically incapable to produce a bloodline. The only reason Phalons
would follow or keep a leader was if that leader achieved positive
results.

The mules were the first to see the advantage in "mega-clans", several
clans bonding together into a more powerful organization. Clan
alliances are traditionally easily formed and broken. The development
of the mega-clan formalized these alliances. While clans are still as
dynamic as ever, individuals are more likely to stay within a
particular mega-clan. "More likely" is still a relative term, and so
humans fell that Phalon society is best described as "chaotic".

A large mega-clan may have smaller mega-clans within it, just as human
nations may have provinces or states within a country, counties within
a state, and towns within a county, etc. Mega-clans containing other,
smaller, mega-clans are known as "high-level mega-clans". "Low-level
mega-clans" are those that consist of nothing but individual clans.
There's a vast area in the middle where it's hard to tell if a
mega-clan is high-level or low-level. Humans have tried to categorize
Phalon organizational structures, but have mostly failed. At the top
of the Phalon organizational chart is the Phalon Conglomerate. A
complex clan hierarchy exists within the Conglomerate, the
Conglomerate itself being a sort of super mega-clan.

Mega-clans were originally based on race, religion and geography, but
contemporary mega-clans go beyond these limitations. They are more
likely to be based on opportunity and advantage. Low-level mega-clans
tend to specialize in a particular field of endeavor, or several
related fields, forming a monopoly in some product, service, or area
of knowledge. This allows a low-level mega-clan to gain an advantage
over other low-level mega-clans. As they gain advantage, the mega-clan
gains members from other clans and mega-clans, increasing its size and
influence. Higher-level mega-clans are essentially cartels, though
often in many different areas of interest, and with those interests
subject to rapid change.

The breeders are considered "flighty" by mules. In human terms,
breeders are more "left brained" and mules are more "right brained"
(though the Phalon brain is not set up this way). Breeders tend to be
more artistic, mules tend to be more calculating. Breeders tend to
think more about the here and now, while mules are more forward
thinking. Most of the military (and almost all of the combat troops)
are mules. Phalon leadership is split almost evenly between mules and
breeders, though some divisions within Phalon leadership may be more
heavily stocked with one type of gender or another.

Injustices between individuals, clans, mega-clans, different races and
different religions are remembered and even acted on, but it's
considered a virtue by Phalons to seize an advantage. Walking away
from an advantage is considered equivalent to the human concept of
cowardice. Permeating everything is the Phalon desire to rise when the
opportunity presents itself. Just as ancient Phalon males and females
escaped predators by sacrificing mules, and just as mules competed
with each other for survival, Phalon society is rife with
individualism. The only thing approaching altruism in the Phalon
psyche is the mules' protective feelings towards the breeders. In
spite of this, or perhaps even because of this, Phalons are social
creatures. They prefer to be in the company of others to being alone.

The mules are the stabilizing influence in Phalon society. Phalons are
not "peaceful" by human standards, but Phalon history is less bloody
than human history. Wars between clans were common in the past, but
mule protective instincts and the general Phalon sense of
self-advancement and preservation meant that protracted wars were
rare. Once it was obvious that one side stood to lose, a negotiated
settlement quickly ended the conflict, especially if another
uninvolved clan or mega-clan could take advantage of the weakened
state of the combatants.

Some humans think of Phalons as cowardly. This is an inaccurate and
dangerous assessment. They are not cowardly. They are practical and
realistic. They will not be drawn into a war without a very reasonable
chance of success. They will not shy from war if their society,
religion or race is in jeopardy.

-- 
Allan Goodall		 http://www.hyperbear.com
agoodall@hyperbear.com
awgoodall@gmail.com

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