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Old 06-09-2023, 08:47 PM   #731
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Default Re: [Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

Important Regional Cultures Question VI

An essay type question covering two of TGLS's suggestions, above: How do the various local groups interrelate? This includes the local Goa'Uld, so who are the local system lords, and what is their policy to the other local groups?

The next question may be asking for approval of a combination of a few posters' suggestions, or to choose between them, if they're incompatible. (EDIT: Depending on various factors, System Lords from different posters might be easier to bring into a single post, since the least compatible ones could be Goa'Uld who are not so much 'local,' as 'powerful elsewhere but have significant influence locally.')

*******

Answer: TGLS's answers here and here win, due to being interesting and lacking competition.
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Old 06-11-2023, 08:07 PM   #732
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Are people just taking longer to come up with responses, or should I close this question and do one about the Chain of Astarte's jumpship fleet, instead?
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Old 06-12-2023, 03:27 AM   #733
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Default Re: [Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

With my current schedule, I am unlikely to post essays for a bit.
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Old 06-12-2023, 07:32 AM   #734
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Important Regional Cultures Question VI
Bustin up this question up for flow:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prince Charon View Post
This includes the local Goa'Uld, so who are the local System Lords, and what is their policy to the other local groups?
This is not an exhaustive list, but here's three important ones:

Bastet
Frolec and its neighbours lie in the Goa'Uld Sector technically dominated by Bastet, and ruled by her and her subordinate System Lords. I say technically because Bastet's power has been weakening steadily over the past millennium. While she is still among the most powerful lords of the Bastet Sector, her status as unquestioned overlord is only respected by those less intimately involved with the Sector. To keep up this facade, Bastet rarely acts without the support of at least some of her client lords. Slackened response from up top has led to the Free Peoples of Bastet Sector to accumulate power, enough to threaten minor lords. Whether Bastet has some fixation on cats and cat-people I leave as an open question.

Astarte
(OK, I did check and it wasn't definitively stated that the ancient that moved the people to the Chain of Astarte's system was called Astarte, but the name is less important than the rest of the concept. Though this does adjust the Chain of Astarte's history a little.)

Three hundred years ago, Astarte was one of the least important System Lords in Bastet Sector. This all changed with the arrival of the Chain's (not yet called Astarte) jumpships. In a daring move, System Lord Astarte captured the chain's ship, allowing her to crush a once more powerful and now forgotten rival.

Following on this victory, Lord Astarte sent the jumpship to the Chain's territory to negotiate a treaty with the industrial magnates of the Chain under threat of destruction. While the chain was never under threat of destruction of more than a dozen asteroids, the possibility of being rendered destitute scared enough magnates into signing the treaty. The terms of the treaty are generally considered far lighter than most subjugated worlds deal with.

The terms of the treaty specify that the chain must be named for Lord Astarte (showing her humility is about average by Goa'Uld standards), that she is to be supplied with jumpships, a tribute of gold, and that the Chain's interests outsystem interest are to be protected by Lord Astarte. This treaty has catapulted Lord Astarte from obscurity to one of of the most powerful lords of the Bastet Sector . At the same time, the terms of the treaty were the origin of the Chain of Astarte as a single polity (as tribute needed to be handled collectively), the Chain's status as the center of trade network, and the idea the Chain of Astarte are one people.

In recent days, the Chain of Astarte has begun to question the value of maintaining the unequal treaty imposed by Lord Astarte. While there are some moderates who seek a renegotiation of the treaty, there are clear lines drawn behind the so-called Repudiate (who seek to discard the treaty entirely) and Treaty factions. Lord Astarte is acutely aware how the loss of the treaty would severely weaken his position, an d encourage rivals to attack his power base, most likely with the support (if not the leadership of) Bastet.

Sopdu
Sopdu appears to be a relatively minor system lord holding a lightly populated mountainous planet, while alternately raiding and trading with various groups of Dvergar who occupy the ranges. However, he is more powerful than he appears on the surface. As a major supplier of Dvergar goods to other Goa'Uld, he has gathered while that he hides away to appear less threatening.

Recently he has begun to toy with Dvergar politics, in hopes of expanding his writ to control the people under the mountain. By identifying and buying off ambitious and greedy Dvergur on the many ruling councils of the mountain cities, Sopdu has managed to divide and render passive the Dvergar of his world. Fortunately for the Dvergar, division alone is not enough to make most mountain cities a soft enough target, and Sopdu has only managed to grab Klopwick. Rumors have it that Sopdu has come into possession of powerful magic that can control the minds of Dvergur, sparking fears that he may peaceably seize control of many Dvergar settlements.

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How do the various local groups interrelate?
Chain of Astarte
The Chain of Astarte has grown from dumping ground of refugees to the premier trade center of the Bastet Sector over the past three hundred years, known even in other sectors far removed from Bastet Sector. From a starting place of intermingled species, the Chain of Astarte was already well adapted to become a cosmopolitan center where all peoples of Bastet Sector have meaningful communities.

The Dvergar have adapted well to the narrow tunnels and habitats that asteroid living has created, though many find the areas they build for themselves often too cramped. The Frolechi of the Chain tend to discard most aspects of the Code of Honor as they adapt to their more urbanized living conditions, though they try to keep some traditions. Many Frolechi establishments in the Chain present an almost cartoonish version of their culture. The largest community of renegade Eldritch Folk lives in the Chain, though they tend to sharply reject their culture.

The Chain of Astarte remains one of the best respected neutral grounds in the sector. All but the most implacable foes meet here to negotiate, and those that can't even stand to remain in the same room tend to use natives of the Chain to act as backchannels. The Goa'Uld generally respect the Chain's neutrality when it comes to their ships and interests outside of the Chain's territory, and those that don't tend to beware of the Chain's treaty with Lord Astarte. Many of the free peoples of the Bastet Sector are concerned with the Chain's relatively close relations to the Goa'Uld.

The Chain of Astarte's trading partners breaks down like this:
Lord Astarte: 16.80%
Lord Bastet: 12.92%
Other Bastet Sector Goa'Uld: 18.09%
Dvergar: 15.50%
Frolechi: 9.04%
Eldritch Folk: 3.88%
Other Bastet Sector: 14.21%
Foreign Sector: 9.56%

Dvergar
They have a saying in the Bastet Sector: "Those who live on a hill rest as easily as the Dvergar beneath." While not literally true, Dvergar are all over the mountains of Bastet Sector, and they don't ignore what happens (literally) over their heads.

The chief foreign policy concern of the Dvergar remains as it always is: the threat of Goa'Uld expansionism. While their mountain fortress cities are generally invulnerable to direct assault, and the Goa'Uld have difficulty occupying the underground cities, a determined foe can occupy the grain fields that feed their cities (the fungus needs the grain husks to grow) and outlast the Dvergar. Thus the Dvergar spend a considerable amount of effort keeping their enemies distracted, building relations with neighbours (Dvergar and otherwise) and occasionally coming to terms with the Goa'Uld to buy time. They are hesitant to confront them head on.

The Chain of Astarte is considered a trading partner to the Dvergar. They are considered somewhat friendly, though their relations with the Goa'Uld tends to put a damper on closer relations. The Dvergar of the Chain are sometimes treated as if they are their own separate entity by Dvergar governments, which tends to cause incidents.

The Dvergar and the Frolechi have sometimes standoffish relations. As one Tauri put it, "It doesn't take a genius to see that they're afraid of their height." However, disputes range beyond the purely physical; about a hundred years ago, an Dvergar exploration party was removed by the Frolechi while they were prospecting Mount Toleatol (a site of spiritual significance to some Frolechi). With the decentralization of the Dvergar, this steadily transmogrified into the Frolechi deporting an entire settlement from the mountain. Dvergar who live closer to the Frolechi, such as those of the Lecmog Mountains, are more understanding, and spend an awful lot of time explaining to other Dvergar that the Frolechi aren't really that bad.

Very few mountains in the territory of the Eldritch Folk were settled by the Dvergar to begin with. Over the last century, the people of many mountain cities seemed to vanish suddenly without explanation, without much violence. The Eldritch Folk refused to investigate this phenomena, putting a chill to diplomatic relations. About three years ago, the best piece of evidence came in the form of refugees from Narime Mountain, the last settlement in Eldritch Folk territory. Apparently a chamber was found during mining activities, and something terrible was unleashed, that devoured Dvergar whole...

Eldritch Folk & Frolechi
Later

Last edited by TGLS; 06-15-2023 at 07:24 AM.
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Old 06-12-2023, 11:12 AM   #735
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Are people just taking longer to come up with responses, or should I close this question and do one about the Chain of Astarte's jumpship fleet, instead?
Some of us don't post much on weekends!
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Old 06-13-2023, 04:29 AM   #736
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Some of us don't post much on weekends!
OK, that's a good point. Sorry. Assuming that I don't forget this, I'll try to post new Questions earlier in the week, instead of late on Friday.
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Old 06-13-2023, 09:57 AM   #737
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Originally Posted by Prince Charon View Post
Are people just taking longer to come up with responses, or should I close this question and do one about the Chain of Astarte's jumpship fleet, instead?
I am out on medical leave and am currently only qualified to answer questions about titanium back implants.
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Old 06-13-2023, 10:54 AM   #738
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I am out on medical leave and am currently only qualified to answer questions about titanium back implants.
OK, get well soon.
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Old 06-13-2023, 11:47 AM   #739
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Earlier

Eldritch Folk
The diplomatic posture of the Eldritch Folk can be summarized as one of arrogance. They don't make requests, they make demands. They don't negotiate, they issue ultimatums. They don't pay tribute, they buy people off. This approach has won them few friends, and with the rising internal conflict because of the "biologic" faction, is a liability the Eldritch Folk may no longer able to afford.

Relative to the size of their economy, the Eldritch Folk have a very small level of foreign trade. Part of this arises from an ideological biases towards isolationism and perceived cultural superiority limiting trade, while at the same time Eldritch leadership views autarky as a strength that makes them immune to pressures from the outside world. This limits contact with the Chain of Astarte, and their aversion to trade creates an impression amongst the Eldritch Folk that the Chain doesn't really do anything. The "biologic" faction, unable to provide for all their needs internally is more pro-trade.

The Dvergar and the Eldritch Folk rarely interact, but when they do, the Eldritch Folk often find themselves overwhelmed by the whining, gnashing sounds of metal on metal characteristic to Dvergar settlements. The association of the Dvergar and their machinery has created an impression that there's something not quite right about the Dvergar, which makes relations more difficult. The "biologic" faction has difficulty moving past these biases, despite hoping they could provide support in their struggle against the Eldritch Folk.

The Eldritch Folk view the Frolechi as distant relatives, and give them slightly more respect than most other species. This still isn't much respect, and any similarities that the Frolechi do see with the Eldritch Folk tends to simply creep them out rather than foster a bond. It doesn't help that the closest they get to helping is a pushy, "you should be more like us." The Frolechi find the "biologic" faction even more disturbing, as the technology they're pushing as "better" tends to quiver and pulsate.

The Goa'Uld have very little patience the Eldritch Folk's arrogance, and this is probably a major part of why they're implacable enemies of one another. Direct struggles are infrequent; their high levels of technology make them a hard target to conquer, but at the same time the Eldritch Folk are hesitant to make a direct attack upon their age-old foe. If they were more international in tone, they could easily become fulcrum of an anti-Goa'Uld alliance, but that's not happening any time soon. The "biologic" faction is hesitant to make moves against greater Eldritch Folk society that could invite Goa'Uld adventurism.

Frolechi
As a smaller but relatively centralized power bloc, the Frolechi maintain an often more coherent but passive diplomatic policy. Their diplomatic aim is to contain the Goa'Uld of the Bastet Sector by means of mutually beneficial pacts with other free peoples, and by creating unrest amongst Goa'Uld subjects and supporting client Goa'Uld lords just enough create internal infighting.

The Dvergar are a key target of Frolechi diplomatic efforts, despite difficulties. The Dvergar and Frolechi share similar strategic aims, though the Frolechi often find Dvergar decentralization frusturating when negotiating. Some in the Frolechi favor the idea of backing the Repudiate faction within the Chain of Astarte, while others are concerned this may hurt access to trade or create a humanitarian disaster if the Goa'Uld hostilely to the ending of their treaty.

Many Frolechi feel that the Frolechi cannot stand alone, and need the support of a technologically advanced patron to beat back the Goa'Uld, while others feel that the Frolechi are stronger alone. Historically, the most obvious patron were the Eldritch Folk, whose bizarre nature and cultural superiority helped strengthen the anti-client position. This all changed with the arrival of the Tauri. The Tauri provided a softer, gentler provider of aid which tilted the balance towards a pro-client position. Some resent the cultural influence the Tauri (accidentally) wield, others feel riling up people against the Tauri is a route to political power. Some are die-hard supporters of the Eldritch Folk. In any case, the nascent friendship between the Frolechi and Tauri is one that could fall apart at any time.

Last edited by TGLS; 06-15-2023 at 10:47 AM.
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Old 06-13-2023, 06:13 PM   #740
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Default Re: [Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

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Earlier

Eldritch Folk
The diplomatic posture of the Eldritch Folk can be summarized as one of arrogance. They don't make requests, they make demands. They don't negotiate, they issue ultimatums. They don't pay tribute, they buy people off. This approach has won them few friends, and with the rising internal conflict within the "biologic" faction, is a liability the Eldritch Folk may no longer able to afford....
This kind of makes me think of the Wraith from SGA.
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