More Vor questions

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by whswhs

My guess would be that Miles himself would be one of the important authors of the legislation. If only to block the conservatives who wanted any kid produced from a uterine replicator to be legally a bastard. . . .

Bill Stoddard

It is referenced that this happened in Cryoburn.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

It is referenced that this happened in Cryoburn.

Ah. I have not been taking Cryoburn as canon, and don't plan to, because I started the campaign a bit before it came out, and had to do the prep work before that. And I'm not rushing right out to buy the hardback; I want to read the library copy and see if Bujold has regained her own forward momentum in telling stories about Miles. So that would make for further delay. Still, I'm glad to learn that Bujold supports one of my worldbuilding decisions.

Bill Stoddard

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

For example Kareen mentions having been through several different sets of earrings before she wore the sexually exclusive pair she wore home in A Civil Campaign.

Yes, well, I wasn't thinking about Mark and Kareen as likely to have had affairs. "We've done that; now we want a stable relationship" makes sense to me as a dynamic.

Bill Stoddard

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ah. I have not been taking Cryoburn as canon, and don't plan to, because I started the campaign a bit before it came out, and had to do the prep work before that. And I'm not rushing right out to buy the hardback; I want to read the library copy and see if Bujold has regained her own forward momentum in telling stories about Miles. So that would make for further delay. Still, I'm glad to learn that Bujold supports one of my worldbuilding decisions.

Bill Stoddard

It feels a lot like Ethan of Athos to me in narrative structure. It is about very little about Barrayr as none of it happens there, and Miles, his armsmen and a cameo by Mark and Kareen are the only well established characters who show up.

Broadly it is his adventures and discoveries in a society that has gotten into cryonics in a big way. He figures he will have to write a lot of reproductive laws for the empire and will likely have to write more about cryonics.

But the letter from home that goes into his kids might mess with your game. Also it has Mark and Kareen unmarried and childless when miles is 38.

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Yes, well, I wasn't thinking about Mark and Kareen as likely to have had affairs. "We've done that; now we want a stable relationship" makes sense to me as a dynamic.

Bill Stoddard

Depends on the definition of affairs. I could see them having an arrangement about other partners when they are separated for moderate to long durations by business concerns. Also as the most galaxy treading couple they can be less concerned with Barrayaran morals. Miles and Ekatarine on the other hand have to be concerned about political scandals and the like.

I don't see any of the characters been terribly emotionally non monogamous. But I would not be terribly surprised by a certain amount of sexual non monogamy.

[Inquisitive Raven]

Originally Posted by Pomphis

Would new laws really be necessary ? Inheritance is of interest enough even if only money is at stake. So I would assume that the law had to deal with the implications of biotech for a long time by then. Actually, we have already started: if a fertilized egg is implanted into another woman, who is the mother ? If an egg is inseminated using sperm from a donor, who is the father ?

Actually, new laws would be necessary because legal jurisdiction in the Wormhole Nexus is far from universal. We're grappling with the legal implications of reproductive tech as we develop it which is a gradual process. Barrayar's getting the tech dropped on them all at once from outside and is scrambling to respond.

Anyway, places like Beta Colony which have had the tech for a long time will already have appropriate inheritance laws in place. Barrayar basically went from no reproductive tech to having uterine replicators in one step at the end of the Escobar war when a bunch of them got dropped in Aral's lap complete with fetuses. You'd think that they'd have gotten the necessary laws in place by the time Miles grew up, but I get the impression that Aral didn't want to make too many changes as regent, and the Barrayarans were slow to adopt the new tech and thus recognize all the implications of same. Think of Ekaterin's first husband insisting that she go through a full biological pregnancy with no genetic screening despite the availability of replicators.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Inquisitive Raven

Think of Ekaterin's first husband insisting that she go through a full biological pregnancy with no genetic screening despite the availability of replicators.

"It's a tradition!" They were South Continent, too. One of my themes is going to be the growing demands for representation for South Continent, which would shift the balance of power in an Old Vor direction, with intensified anti-mutant, anti-Galactic, and pro-chastity attitudes.

Bill Stoddard

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Inquisitive Raven

Barrayar basically went from no reproductive tech to having uterine replicators in one step at the end of the Escobar war when a bunch of them got dropped in Aral's lap complete with fetuses. You'd think that they'd have gotten the necessary laws in place by the time Miles grew up, but ...

Barrayar is a hereditary aristocracy. Traditional reproduction is a major focus of both their culture and power politics. It is moderately amazing there hasn't been much more blood spilled over this issue.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by martinl

Barrayar is a hereditary aristocracy. Traditional reproduction is a major focus of both their culture and power politics. It is moderately amazing there hasn't been much more blood spilled over this issue.

With the acceptance of the Council of Lord Dono... lots of things are changing one decision at a time.

Miles is proof that a child gestated in a UR is a child.

I've not seen mention in canon of an heir recognized as heir who never was in his mother's body... but daughters, sure. The guy with the 50+ daughters... and a duty to pay dowry for all of them...

The Vor system reacts 90% of the time. The question really is, "what has triggered new reaction legislation?" Miles having the council acknowledge the "birth" of Aral Alexander will have that resolved. But, given the ending of Cryoburn, that's not a certainty to pass... except that Gregor and Laisa plan the same methods... But the old guard... that would make a wonderful bit of a novella. Or a fun game.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

Miles having the council acknowledge the "birth" of Aral Alexander will have that resolved. But, given the ending of Cryoburn, that's not a certainty to pass... except that Gregor and Laisa plan the same methods... But the old guard... that would make a wonderful bit of a novella. Or a fun game.

Wow, that's a surprise. I had the impression that the uterine replicator had come into widespread use among the Vor; if they were to declare that a birth not of the body didn't count, they'd be declaring a substantial fraction of their own heirs bastards. Including, likely enough, the Crown Prince.

And wouldn't Gregor's first child have been born somewhat earlier than Miles's? There seems to be a lot of concern that Gregor produce an heir, and he married Laisa at least half a year previous. I can't think of any good reason for them not to. Of course, if the first child was a girl, as in my storyline, Miles might get to break the ground . . . but I would think there would be precedent. Not least in the well established fact that a count's heir is anyone the count says, even if it's a horse.

Bill Stoddard