[Denied] Ouerean Racers - The Red Rocketeers and the Yellow Bellies

[Marlon P.]

Type (e.g. Planet, Faction, System):

Culture of Ouerea.

Describe this proposal in a single sentence (12 word maximum):

Using sports as a way of expressing Ouerean cultural and national identity.

How will this be reflected on-station?

By the characters it produces. Ouerean characters will have a dynamic with one another for conflict or celebration. Mostly these divisions in lore are ideological in terms of government and economics, or religious. Sports is a huge part of a person's identity if they're into that sort of thing. Team identities for sports has often caused the overthrow of governments by angry fans, so we can't discount it.

Does this faction/etc do anything not achieved by what already exists?

Not a lot of sports going on in unathilore.

Why should this be given to lore developers rather than remain player created lore?

It should go on the wiki because it is a large part of the factions' identity, rather than a player made faction. Geeze the maker of this format is asking a lot of questions.

Do you understand that if this is submitted, you are signing it away to the lore team, and that it's possible that it will change over time in ways that you may not forsee?

Yeah  they're cool I like them they can have it

Long Description:[

This is a rough draft for the wiki.

== Culture and Sports ==

The origins of the first generation of Ouereans was living side by side with aliens as the homeworld they left behind was consumed in war and nuclear fire. For many Unathi the metaphorical as well as literal severing of ties lead to a very quick cultural drift, sped up by the constant bombardment of human and skrellian mass media. New ways of living and thinking were brought into public consciousness. The second generation of Unathi on Ouerea stopped considering themselves as being from Moghean Clans and began thinking of themselves as Ouereans.

This cultural split manifests itself in many different ways, but the biggest and most notable element is the immense importance Ouereans place on sports. Specifically, the '''Grotto Races'''.

=== Grotto Races ===

*Ouerea's crust is full of elaborate series of caverns and caves to the point that it's colloquially called a sponge. The races take advantage of this by organizing the competition with five mechanics:
*There is a start point, no higher than 1,000ft below ground.
*There is a finish line. no lower than 5,000ft below ground.
*These two points can be no closer than 400 miles in a straight line.
*At least one route between the two points is presumed to exist.

The Big One itself is a mixture of a traditional race, a marathon, and a survival challenge. Racers can spend hours or days just navigating the complex web of tunnels and caverns, or end up stuck wildly off course and having to navigate their way back on track. Charioteers often have to juggle the risks and rewards of stopping to rest during particularly long races, knowing that every moment asleep is a moment their enemies get closer to finishing, but that every moment they are exhausted and sleep-deprived means they have a higher risk of making a mistake...

There are the formal games sponsored by different Guilds and local governments called the '''Grotto Races''', but the main, planetary championship races are simply referred to breathlessly as '''The Big One''' which always has its start point underneath New Skalamar, the capital city. So where an Ouerean saw their local Grotto Race the other day, they'd also be talking about seeing the Big One in New Skalamar the other day.

The sport first started in '''2457''', and has since exploded in popularity. Grotto Races now dominate the planet's entertainment industry, and entire group identities have formed around the two primary teams in the formal Grotto Races: '''The Reds''' and '''The Azures'''.

The racers are, in a nod to ancient Moghean customs, called '''Charioteers'''. They use small, specially made hoverpods designed for high speed and maneuverability. Because the size of caverns along the route can vary wildly in size, they are also made to be as compact as physically possible. Often stripped down, with high powered floodlights installed. Other racers would abandon hoverpods in favor of Hoverbikes; little more than steel rods that they grip onto in order to go rocketing down unknown cavern depths with nothing more surrounding them than their own hide.

Despite precautions taken with Search and Rescue teams, hideous injuries to the charioteers extremely commonplace, and there are occasional deaths or disappearances of racers. Charioteers take these risks because there were fortunes to be won; championship games have often dolled out as much as 950,000 credits to a championship Charioteer.

The Big One features two primary color-themed teams: the Reds and the Azures. Each team has a fanatical following within the cities of Ouerea. They are wildly popular, and wins or losses can often result in spontaneous no-holds barred celebrations breaking out in the major cities, while losses have historically triggered a handful of intense riots. Each team represents the broad divisions still present in Ouerean society, which can help explain the intense furor in their fans. Outside observers often intensely criticize the two teams and their fans as being no different from gangs, but Ouereans push back on this by pointing to the inclusive nature of the fandom, with the Big One drawing in even the local non-unathi residents and citizens.

==== The Reds ====
Red Racers tend to signal old fashioned values. Their champion Charioteers all tend to be male and from the old noble Clans that first settled Ouerea with the colonists. To subvert accusations of bigotry, the Reds in 2460 recruited a single Tajara named '''Ahurhajurhl Al'rha to their team; a former naval pilot and lesser noble from the colony of [[Gakal-Zaa]] he is known for his conventional strategies. Their most famous racers are '''Zar Oz'tiz''', who's flame-decal painted hoverpod is famous for breaking the world record for deepest descent into Ouerea, and '''Ahrei Mo'gunz''', nephew of a Mo'Gunz Guild leader, who disappeared deep underground for four days on a Big One in 2559 only to reappear at the finish line, six days ahead of every other Charioteer.

Their fans refer to themselves as Red-Hides, and represent their team with red armbands or other red regalia. Staffs with long red banners tied beneath the spearpoint are also popular to wield, similar to humans waving flags. Their fandom is majority Oueran-Unathi, but any resident who wants to consider themselves part of the conservative side of Ouerea can call themselves Red.

==== The Azures ====
Azures tend to signal the progressive elements of Ouerean society. Their champion Charioteers are a diverse mixture of Unathi, human, skrell, and even a Vaurca and a Tajara. Like the reds, fans express their allegiance with blue armbands or blue regalia in general. Holographic fireworks are their displays of choice in leu of flag-waving. Their most famous Charioteers are '''Kizula Mizala''', a female Charioteer who's famous for her hoverbike and elaborate rituals she uses where shamans cast spells on her hoverbike. '''Miguel Thomas``` is a human who was born on Ouerea and is known for his intense survival regime, taking the 'slow and steady' approach to the Big One games, going without sleep for days at a time. '''Xusuui'Ouqu Tuiru'Koqun''' is a skrell Charioteer who holds six PhD's in geology, tectonics, and xenofauna. He uses these skills to have an almost precognition for routes through the Big One's cavern systems.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Haydizzle
Denied

[DronzTheWolf]

I have read this and found it to be a great idea. The only thing I'd add is that some people might keep their hoverpods' air tanks and sealing intact so that they might be faster by navigating flooded caves instead of sticking to dry caves.


+1

[Marlon P.]

Oh sick. good idea!

[Haydizzle]

I will be looking over this over the course of the week, provided school and work are permitting.

What makes this stand out from Crosk, whose identity has similarly put stock in racing events?

[Marlon P.]

Thank you for your reply.

I don't know what Crosk is.

I don't believe marathon racing being done in two locations will be a detriment to the other. Other sports are more martial which I wanted Ouerea to stand out from.

[Haydizzle]

It is not just another sport, but a very similar concept that is being executed. More about it can be read here: https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Crosk

[Marlon P.]

OK, i've read up a bit on it. There are many distinctions despite being the same sport.

Superficially, Crosk focuses on space racing. Ouerean Racing is subterranean.

Crosk uses spaceships, where Oureans use hoverpods and hoverbikes.

Synthetics are not allowed to participate in the Ouerean games. On Crosk they are major players.

I wanted to add more religious elements to the proposal, elaborating on the spiritualism present when they do things like cast spells on their hoverpods or Charioteers. I was also going to emphasize Oureas' manic tolerance in how they encourage xeno-charioteers to make religious statements or spells in their own favor. Such as "The Suns will grant me their light" by a tajara racer. I didn't go into that much elaboration until you decided if you liked the concept in totality, and this in specific.

Crosk's racing has a big focus on the aesthetic of their craft dancing and weaving. Ouerean racing is more gruff.

Crosk racing is about speed and eloquence, where Ouerean racing is more about brute force or survivalism itself. Oueran charioteers are equal part racers as well as survivalists.

Ourean racers often camp inside the caves if a race is particular long. Crosk races seem like they can be finished in a single sitting.

Ouereans are a lot more radical in their support for the races. Charioteers would be developed to have political power unto themselves. I leaned heavily into the Reds and Blues in Constantinople, who were two racing teams that at one point nearly overthrow the government. Not that I'm wanting that in particular, but that energy of fandom.

However, at the end of the day, Ouereans finding out about Crosk and nerding out with Crosk characters would encourage a lot of roleplay and character relationships. Similar to how you can watch NASCAR and also watch that European race they have over in... Over there.

[Haydizzle]

Thanks! My deputies may have more questions, but that satiates me for now. I will try to process this application as soon as possible.

[Marlon P.]

Oh also before i forget, i thought it would be a good idea to have a little game event to get eyes on the addition, if you do accept it. A race across the asteroid by visiting Charioteer organizers. It would need hoverpods or anything spawned for a race from one end of the asteroid to the other.

[Haydizzle]

I will be """denying""" this application. I say this in the sense that the main goal of what you were trying to do with this application (create a culture around sports) will not be implemented. I do think some flashy sports for Ouerea would serve well however, so I will likely be drawing on this submission in that regard.

Application closed.