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Old 09-27-2017, 03:00 PM   #41
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Our dwarves are different

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Has anyone made a eusocial species without one or more groups being cannon fodder property?
That depends on what you mean by cannon fodder? By definition, a eusocial species has groups that are not directly needed for propagation of the species, but they can still be expensive to replace (for example, domestic horses are effectively eusocial, though that pattern is imposed from outside, but that doesn't mean geldings are throwaways).
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Old 09-27-2017, 07:23 PM   #42
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Default Re: Our dwarves are different

Property on par with farm or service animals, not outside imposed alteration.
If we count non-breeding groups that serve society, then that may include grandparents. But while considered less valuable than children, they aren't considered worthy to so directly sacrifice for the health of others as cannon fodder generally means.
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Old 09-27-2017, 09:42 PM   #43
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Default Re: Our dwarves are different

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Property on par with farm or service animals, not outside imposed alteration.
If we count non-breeding groups that serve society, then that may include grandparents. But while considered less valuable than children, they aren't considered worthy to so directly sacrifice for the health of others as cannon fodder generally means.
Ba among Cetagandans seem to be that. While they are in a more or less servile status they don't seem to be regarded as expendable precisely.
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Old 09-27-2017, 09:55 PM   #44
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Default Re: Our dwarves are different

The funny thing about dwarves is that while any pretty somewhat magical and slender humanoid is called an elf, relatively minor variations on the model of "short hardy humanoid who lives underground" are given their own distinct naming. Thus dwarves, svarts, duergar, halflings, gnomes and so forth.
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Old 09-27-2017, 10:26 PM   #45
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Default Re: Our dwarves are different

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The funny thing about dwarves is that while any pretty somewhat magical and slender humanoid is called an elf, relatively minor variations on the model of "short hardy humanoid who lives underground" are given their own distinct naming. Thus dwarves, svarts, duergar, halflings, gnomes and so forth.
Actually, halflings are primarily "short jovial humanoids". The hardihood, if any, exists below the surface whereas it is more obvious that a dwarve is "hardy".
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Old 09-27-2017, 11:22 PM   #46
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Ba among Cetagandans seem to be that. While they are in a more or less servile status they don't seem to be regarded as expendable precisely.
Wikipedia says they're used as guinea pigs for genetic experimentation. That's pretty darn expendable.
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Old 09-28-2017, 07:39 AM   #47
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Wikipedia says they're used as guinea pigs for genetic experimentation. That's pretty darn expendable.
The haut regard everything as guinea pigs for genetic experimentation including themselves. But they are never shown tossing the ba away like tissue paper by marching them over minefields or working them on building pyramids until they die or throwing away their brains when they reach majority to gain a new body. So it depends on what you mean by expendable. As honeybees defend their hive by being kamikazes I assumed something along that line when eusociability was discussed.
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