The Lonely Galaxy Megathread (comments encouraged)

[lurker]

Tree dweller childermoots consume the remains of the womb-nest after their kits hatch.

[thethief3]

What's the Claravian relationship/doctrine with environmentalism?

[lurker]

Gee that's a lot of people who are locked out of reproduction given they can only breed once and with that a 50% surplus. Researchers, Priestesses, Knights of the Sun, Healers.

After ruminating on your point, I agree. Childermoots aren't considered lifelong commitments. They're only there to raise the litter, and once the pups grow up there's no need to stay together as empty nesters, although many do. Furthermore, the no childermoots vow was intended as a parallel to a vow of celibacy, but if yinrih are incapable of being promiscuous, it means they can't be celibate either.

So how's this: the relevant vow states that the votary cannot currently be in a childermoot while beholden to the vow. If you have grown children, that means you're no longer in a childermoot and can fulfill the vow. So you're only barred from reproducing if a) you take the vow before laying your egg and b) the vow is lifelong, which it isn't in at least some cases. Clerical vows are lifelong, for sure, but perhaps monastic vows are temporary and must be renewed if the votary wishes to maintain them.

[lurker]

What's the Claravian relationship/doctrine with environmentalism?

I'm glad you asked, as that was one of the things I was going to write up soon.

This earlier post touches on an adjacent issue. The Bright Way is against colonizing exoplanets, or in other words, they're against being grabby, as they wish to allow new noospheres to flower into existence as life evolves naturally, which it can't do if colonists disrupt the process of abiogenesis or hominization/sophontization.

This belief lies on a spectrum of "absolutely no exoplanets may be touched" to "only planets with promising prebiotic environments must be left alone." The official stance merely precludes planets in the habitable zone of their star. Of course, these are the easiest planets to terraform, so that results in some friction.

The relevant laws on the issue say that whoever first maintains a permanent presence in a planet's gravity well is the de facto owner and can do as they please. The Bright Way's missionary efforts at least partially pivot to squatting on promising exoplanets by maintaining unmanned satellites in orbit, likely with mass routers and life support, so that colonists can't come along and bulldoze the environment.

As for more traditional environmentalism, the Bright Way doesn't believe in animal rights per se but does condemn animal cruelty and reckless habitat destruction etc, which amount to the same thing in terms of practical action. The environment exists ultimately to support sapient life, and protecting the environment is part of maintaining sapient life.

The Bright Way does take a special interest in protecting the tree dwellers, as the traditional view is that yinrih are tree dwellers who happen to be sapient. The tree dwellers' original range on the northern side of the River was maintained as a sanctuary throughout the Age of Decadence. After the War of Dissolution and expulsion of the Bright Way from its seat of power on Yih, the tree dweller population plummets due to unchecked exploitation and the illegal trafficking of adults for blood sports and pups for the pet trade. Once the Bright Way is allowed to return to Newman's Dale, the sanctuary is reestablished and the population rebounds, although by that point the population of captive bred tree dwellers was more than enough to satisfy demand.

It goes without saying that the Bright Way condemns blood sports in general, and most jurisdictions, with the obvious exception of the Spacer Confederacy, ban such activities, whether or not animals are involved.

The Bright Way does allow the use of tree dwellers for lab testing and organ transplants, as it fits with their view that the environment exists to serve sapient life. They do try to minimize harm to their non sapient kin, and keep lab specimens in as natural and stimulating an environment as can be managed. Harvesting organs from tree dwellers is also considered a last resort, as donated yinrih organs are a better fit anyway.

[thethief3]

Did the theophany directly refer to female hearthkeepers or was it only a continuation of the previous religious practice?

[lurker]

Did the theophany directly refer to female hearthkeepers or was it only a continuation of the previous religious practice?

nonsapient yinrih females were in charge of foraging for fruit and other edible plants. This allowed females to develop zoopharmacognosy behavior, which developed into the shaman's role as healer. Females' knowledge of plants is also what led them to learn how to control fire, which is where the hearthkeepers come from. Males were either forbidden from or simply not taught how to start and control fires. So no, the Theophany didn't specifically mention female hearthkeepers, they were carried over from the yinrih's natural religion. The Bright Way regards the Theophany as fulfilling rather than replacing their old customs, just as some Wayfarers who convert to Terran faiths regard their conversion as a fulfillment of the Bright Way rather than a rejection of it.

This post touches on the origins of various parts of yinrih society.

[thethief3]

Did the theophany directly refer to female hearthkeepers or was it only a continuation of the previous religious practice?

nonsapient yinrih females were in charge of foraging for fruit and other edible plants. This allowed females to develop zoopharmacognosy behavior, which developed into the shaman's role as healer. Females' knowledge of plants is also what led them to learn how to control fire, which is where the hearthkeepers come from. Males were either forbidden from or simply not taught how to start and control fires. So no, the Theophany didn't specifically mention female hearthkeepers, they were carried over from the yinrih's natural religion. The Bright Way regards the Theophany as fulfilling rather than replacing their old customs, just as some Wayfarers who convert to Terran faiths regard their conversion as a fulfillment of the Bright Way rather than a rejection of it.

This post touches on the origins of various parts of yinrih society.

So where does the idea of a shaman/hearthkeeper as a spiritual dam come from?

[lurker]

Did the theophany directly refer to female hearthkeepers or was it only a continuation of the previous religious practice?

nonsapient yinrih females were in charge of foraging for fruit and other edible plants. This allowed females to develop zoopharmacognosy behavior, which developed into the shaman's role as healer. Females' knowledge of plants is also what led them to learn how to control fire, which is where the hearthkeepers come from. Males were either forbidden from or simply not taught how to start and control fires. So no, the Theophany didn't specifically mention female hearthkeepers, they were carried over from the yinrih's natural religion. The Bright Way regards the Theophany as fulfilling rather than replacing their old customs, just as some Wayfarers who convert to Terran faiths regard their conversion as a fulfillment of the Bright Way rather than a rejection of it.

This post touches on the origins of various parts of yinrih society.

So where does the idea of a shaman/hearthkeeper as a spiritual dam come from?

I suspect it evolved naturally as the bright way developed. If dams have authority over their pups, it makes sense that a hearthkeeper, who leads her congregation, gets likened to a dam.

[lurker]

Here are a few subtle changes that First Contact has on the English Language:

• The words "person" and "people" no longer refer only to humans, but to humans or yinrih.
• The term "misanthropy" and related words shift meaning to refer to anti-human prejudice rather than mistrust or hatred of humans by other humans. While this attitude is rare among yinrih, it isn't unheard of, especially within Partisan Territory and some colonies within the Spacer Confederacy.
• Furthermore, some anti-human slurs find their way into English. Caudally challenged sweat factory is a particularly colorful one.
• A subtle dialect developes among yinrih when writing English. Since the first humans that the crew of the Dewfall meet and befriend are hams, some old-timey telegrapher slang finds its way into the everyday English of other yinrih. This includes "HI HI" for "LOL", "R" (whence "roger") for "OK" or "understood", and "fine business" for "that's nice" or "sounds good." Occasionally you'll see "73" for "goodbye".

[lurker]

Much to some humans' dismay, yinrih do not appreciate being petted or scratched. They have a strong sense of personal space. The title phrase is seen on public service announcements reminding humans that, while yinrih may look like dogs, you shouldn't treat them like dogs.

[Khemehekis]

Here are a few subtle changes that First Contact has on the English Language:

• The words "person" and "people" no longer refer only to humans, but to humans or yinrih.
• The term "misanthropy" and related words shift meaning to refer to anti-human prejudice rather than mistrust or hatred of humans by other humans. While this attitude is rare among yinrih, it isn't unheard of, especially within Partisan Territory and some colonies within the Spacer Confederacy.
• Furthermore, some anti-human slurs find their way into English. Caudally challenged sweat factory is a particularly colorful one.
• A subtle dialect developes among yinrih when writing English. Since the first humans that the crew of the Dewfall meet and befriend are hams, some old-timey telegrapher slang finds its way into the everyday English of other yinrih. This includes "HI HI" for "LOL", "R" (whence "roger") for "OK" or "understood", and "fine business" for "that's nice" or "sounds good." Occasionally you'll see "73" for "goodbye".

Heh -- these are great!

That gave me an idea: I need to put some tyashusial slurs (i.e. slurs referring to what species of sapient you are) into the Nyelizaph language of Kebsabhaz.

[Arayaz]

• Furthermore, some anti-human slurs find their way into English. Caudally challenged sweat factory is a particularly colorful one.

That's a wonderful insult ─ it looks like it's straight out of Calvin and Hobbes! It does seem too long to be a regular-use slur, though.

[Khemehekis]

• Furthermore, some anti-human slurs find their way into English. Caudally challenged sweat factory is a particularly colorful one.

That's a wonderful insult ─ it looks like it's straight out of Calvin and Hobbes! It does seem too long to be a regular-use slur, though.

Yeah -- more like a "cheese-eating surrender monkey" type slur.

[lurker]

That's a wonderful insult ─ it looks like it's straight out of Calvin and Hobbes! It does seem too long to be a regular-use slur, though.

Heh -- these are great!

Thanks! I'm certainly a sweat factory right about now. Gulf coast summer has arrived.

---

Here's a random bit of trivia that's a bit more positive: I mentioned earlier that some yinrih use the word <sFsFg> (friend) as a generic name for humans. It's not just because we're the first and only other sophonts they've found after 100 millennia of searching.

The missionaries initially think that "Texas" refers to the whole planet, or at least a sovereign territory thereon. While they're swiftly corrected, they had already relayed the news about the <qLmrsFsFp> (nation/country of friends) that they find, and this name for Terra sticks, at least as a sobriquet, within the Commonthroat-speaking community.

There are rumors that some of the more patriotic hams that the missionaries first meet had actively encouraged the misconception.

[Arayaz]

I'm certainly a sweat factory right about now. Gulf coast summer has arrived.

Mood. As someone whose favorite temperature is 70°F, summer is not kind to me, nor is my region's climate in general. Are you fine saying where on the Gulf Coast you live? We may live near one another! And I know a fair number of other conlangers who happen to be in the general southern area.

Here's a random bit of trivia that's a bit more positive: I mentioned earlier that some yinrih use the word <sFsFg> (friend) as a generic name for humans. It's not just because we're the first and only other sophonts they've found after 100 millennia of searching.

The missionaries initially think that "Texas" refers to the whole planet, or at least a sovereign territory thereon. While they're swiftly corrected, they had already relayed the news about the <qLmrsFsFp> (nation/country of friends) that they find, and this name for Terra sticks, at least as a sobriquet, within the Commonthroat-speaking community.

There are rumors that some of the more patriotic hams that the missionaries first meet had actively encouraged the misconception.

This is really funny (Is there some thing about Texas being a "nation of friends" that I'm unaware of? It seems to me like a cultural reference.)

[lurker]

I'm certainly a sweat factory right about now. Gulf coast summer has arrived.

Mood. As someone whose favorite temperature is 70°F, summer is not kind to me, nor is my region's climate in general. Are you fine saying where on the Gulf Coast you live? We may live near one another! And I know a fair number of other conlangers who happen to be in the general southern area.

Here's a random bit of trivia that's a bit more positive: I mentioned earlier that some yinrih use the word <sFsFg> (friend) as a generic name for humans. It's not just because we're the first and only other sophonts they've found after 100 millennia of searching.

The missionaries initially think that "Texas" refers to the whole planet, or at least a sovereign territory thereon. While they're swiftly corrected, they had already relayed the news about the <qLmrsFsFp> (nation/country of friends) that they find, and this name for Terra sticks, at least as a sobriquet, within the Commonthroat-speaking community.

There are rumors that some of the more patriotic hams that the missionaries first meet had actively encouraged the misconception.

This is really funny (Is there some thing about Texas being a "nation of friends" that I'm unaware of? It seems to me like a cultural reference.)

"Texas" comes from the Caddo word táyshaʔ meaning friend or ally. It's commonly taught in elementary school here that Texas is a Native American word for friend.

Commonthroat has a different word <qMng> meaning comrade or ally that implies a pragmatic relationship. <sFsFg> is related to <sF> (to love) and implies a deeper personal bond. This distinction has religious significance, as orthodox Wayfarers would not consider it a fulfillment of the Great Commandment if they just drew up a diplomatic alliance or a trade agreement with Earth.

[lurker]

Lucy is the human-pronounceable name of the high hearthkeeper in office at the time of the Dewfall's arrival on Earth. She is the successor to the High Hearthkeeper who tried to once again put a stop to interstellar mission work that caused Pascal to lapse out of scandal and Iris to go in with the traditionalists among the missionaries.

She was given the name Lucy at the first interspecies ecumenical conference in the City of Eternal Noon. Rather than risk offense or ridicule by picking a name herself, she asked one of the human attendees to name her. The name is likely a reference to Saint Lucy, given in honor of the Bright Way's affinity for light.

I have yet to decide on her personality and outlook. There are two contrasting options:

- A traditionalist who would rather lead a smaller, more faithful litter than an organization that's a mile wide and a foot deep. She sees her predecessor's attempt to suppress the missionaries as compromising the religion's identity for the sake of getting bellies on perches at the lighthouse. Ill-liked by the secular media and perhaps lacking in charisma.

- A reformer who, until the Dewfall's landing is all set to finish her predecessor's work of disbanding the missionaries in order to focus on more conventional philanthropic (philocynoidic?) endeavors. Treated much more positively in the non-Wayfarer press.

In either case, her priorities immediately shift to "holy crap we actually found someone!" after Earth is discovered, and, irrespective of her previous outlook, finds herself shepherding the Bright Way into a renaissance. She's the strongest advocate for humanity at Focus, and is responsible for opening Hearthside to human settlement. She's the first authority figure outside of Wayfarers' Haven that has any dealings with humans, and is the figure responsible for passing so-called Ludd Laws* within both Hearthside and the Allied Worlds.

\* laws that strictly limit the export of monkey fox technology to Earth, to be explained in a later post

[lurker]

Despite bearing a Terran name, Ludd Laws are laws put in place on Hearthside, the Allied Worlds, and other yinrih governments to prevent the export of monkey fox technology to Earth. They are so named because they were the brainchild of Dr. Staples and other academics at Erickson College who were the first humans to interact with governments at Focus, first with Wayfarers' Haven, then, via the missionaries, with the High Hearthkeeper on Hearthside.

The crew of the Dewfall are not economists, historians, or anthropologists (sophontologists?), and don't understand how unreservedly giving all their technology to Earth right away could be a bad thing. Even if Iris and the others were versed in those fields, the Yinrih never had an equivalent to the age of exploration where civilizations with vastly different levels of technological development came into contact for the first time. Throughout yinrih history, without exception, from the post-Theophany shamanists to the present-day primitive wayfarers, the only technologically primitive societies at Focus were born of a deliberate rejection of modern life or technological progress.

The missionaries initially hand over all their gifts: tailstone, star lanterns, fabricators, force projectors, neurogel, etc. to the human First Contact team and tell them to have at it. Sunshine is especially keen on giving humanity a leg up. However, Dr. Staples et al. very swiftly realize that handing Kardashev II technology to a not-yet Kardashev I civilization indiscriminately would almost certainly result in disaster of apocalyptic proportions. The absolute best case would be total economic upheaval as nearly every aspect of human life would be upended by the influx of new tech. A far more likely scenario would be Terran militaries swiftly snapping up the gifts and, if they weren't already weapons, figuring out ways to weaponize them. Earth would be one itchy trigger finger away from total annihilation, I mean, even more so than it already is.

And so, after politely but firmly asking the missionaries to kindly put away their toys, Staples and the others take advantage of the tiny window before yinrih governments figure out who's really in charge on Earth to literally beg the High Hearthkeeper to spearhead the passage of these export bans, all before the mass router even made such exports possible in the first place.

The high hearthkeeper is initially confused and saddened. "Why are you refusing our gifts? Do you reject our offer of friendship?" but after being brought up to speed on the perils of indiscriminately dropping tech into a primitive species' lap, she understands.

The mass router is perfected less than a year after First Contact, and by then most relevant Focus governments had passed such Ludd Laws. The nature of the Underlay and Tailstone made it much easier to enforce these laws, even against governments who did not recognize them, as states who refused, especially other colonies in the Spacer Confederacy, were simply not given access to the mass router trunk line between Sol and Focus, which was only accessible through Wayfarers' Haven and eventually Hearthside.

After FTL is well established, the High Hearthkeeper returns to the issue of uplifting humanity. If monkey foxes can't bring their gifts to Earth, than humans could come to them. She sets aside large swaths of land on Hearthside to give to human settlers. There they could have access to all the benefits of yinrih technology. A separate initiative begins on the Terran side to establish a human colony within the Spacer Confederacy as a sort of vassal state to Wayfarers' Haven. Thus is born the Split Horizon, the first fully independent human colony at Focus.

As these human enclaves are exposed yinrih tech, governments on Earth are able to suss out the ramifications such drastic innovations have on human culture, and can plan ways to safely introduce this space tree doggo tech to humanity on Earth.

[lurker]

The standard unit of length at Focus is the Tailslength or just tail which, while long since redefined in terms of physical constants, is meant to approximate the length of an adult yinrih's tail.

The standard unit of time in scientific circles doesn't mesh neatly into the Yih calendar as the SI second does with hours and days. It's called the heartbeat or simply beat It approximates a yinrih's resting heart rate, though, as above, it has been redefined experimentally.

The heartbeat is used as the basis for the Spacer Epoch, which is an alternative way of reckoning time used by Spacers, not bound to planetary rotations or orbits. The Spacer Epoch is defined as the number of heartbeats since the founding of the first permanent orbital colony, which occurred in the Yih year 3461.

[lurker]

Here's a symbol for the Knights of the Sun. It plays on the Claravian Star and Gear. The spikes represent both sun rays and a spiked tail weapon, which as stated in the Commonthroat thread, has similar symbolic value to yinrih as swords do for humans.

Hearthside's military may be composed entirely of Knights..

Just as European Knights are associated with cavalry, I suspect the Yinrih notion of knighthood is associated with mechs and heavy powered armor. That doesn't mean every knight is a mech pilot, but Lodestar certainly is.