Cael’s Dionae Lore Writer Application

[Caelphon]

Ckey/BYOND Username: Caelphon

Position Being Applied For: Dionae Lore Writer

Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Yes, I even added addendums to it! 

Past Experiences/Knowledge: I have been Dionae Lore Deputy, Skrell Lore Writer, Deputy Loremaster and Loremaster with the team for around three years if I’m correct. 

Examples of Past Work: 

https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Special:Contributions/Caelphon

 

I have worked on various Lore projects. The most recent being the Queendom, Ouerea, Mictlan’s Expansion, The Trasens and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate re-write. 

Additional Notes:

As per the rules, my position will be vacated. 

My proposal: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WErNy7zb690O9d_cEQVTG2rYWZNBHNdk9QkhrA04htA/edit

I will create a section that I wish to add to Dionae tomorrow morning. Until then, adios!  

[Boggle08]

Someone's been paying attention to our dev chat with the Craver/Bioweapon bit, lol. I definitely want to us to lean harder into the species' more monstrous qualities.

I was drafting an application myself, but given that I'm under a lot of external time constraints(full time warehouse job + college), I feel more confident with Cael returning back to Dionae lore.

For now, I have three inquiries:

1. Improving our character retention is a huge concern for me, and one of the major issues I have with the species right now is that both playable forms on the station have been feature-crept into mechanical obsolescence. I've been theory crafting myself on ways to improve their QoL, while making them balanced and less frustrating to fight, but I wanna hear your thoughts and what you'd be willing to do to improve the state they're in.

2. The Eternal has been a focus of mine, as for a time, they were set up to be a major driving force in Dionae lore. I've quietly been setting the stage for a major rework involving them, but I'd like to hear your direction for them, and how they will compare to the CT-EUM under your tenure.

3. Themes. For a while, I've been trying to establish a thematic center for the species, concentrating on a competitive dynamic between Spiritual Idealism and Amoral Materialism. The proto-cultural bit I published a while ago was a step in that direction. I'd like to hear your overall thoughts on  discerning themes for the species, so we can compare them.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Boggle08

[whitewolftamer]

I have no doubt that Cael will do well in this position. 

I do however, have a request.

Please don't make Dionae a purposed organism.

Reading the Aliens comics where Xenomorphs are an extremely adaptive invasive organism? Cool as fuck. Finding out that now they're just "Bioweapons"? Cringe

Please don't have Dionae be a purposed organism who were designed to be Bioweapons. Instead, dionae as intense consumers come from a planet where-in they had to outcompete other species who would eat anything that they didn't, thus prompting the evolution of Dionae unto endless consumers who will eat everything they can so that they can get it before their competition does.

I'm absolutely a fan of leaning into the concerning/all-consuming aspect of dionae. I just don't want them to be designed for that purpose.

On top of this, having them be an organism which naturally consumes things leads into an irreverence for nature. The natural world is just more food. Perhaps it warrants respect as food. But other than that it is fuel.

TLDR: Please no purposed organisms.

 

[GeneralCamo]

If you want bioweapons, use an angle that integrates into our existing lore. We have several factions and corporations that has a horrific track record when it comes to ethics and weapons development. Zeng-Hu, Necropolis, Nralakk, Sol. All of these would be likely to take such an organism, and think "how can I kill people/make a profit from this?"

That would remove the problems of them having been designed from scratch for the purpose of consuming. Their nature is, well, natural. But it would still allow you and your team to explore that angle, by integrating it better into our corporate focus. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by GeneralCamo

[Caelphon]

8 hours ago, Boggle08 said:

1. Improving our character retention is a huge concern for me, and one of the major issues I have with the species right now is that both playable forms on the station have been feature-crept into mechanical obsolescence. I've been theory crafting myself on ways to improve their QoL, while making them balanced and less frustrating to fight, but I wanna hear your thoughts and what you'd be willing to do to improve the state they're in.

I believe that the species itself is considerably alien, which makes it difficult to really craft characters without approaching it with gestalt-psychology in mind. 
 

It was initially my idea for the species to be given pain receptors mechanically as a way to decrease the frustration in regarded to the species. I do believe this mechanic does maintain usefulness compared to the previous “I stronk tree” that reigned supreme and ruined rounds when they became antagonist. I rather see this as an enforcement issue, and where this does crop up there should be a zero-tolerance policy. The species itself is unique mechanically, but currently I have no ideas besides my desire to add an Argus sub-type.

8 hours ago, Boggle08 said:

2. The Eternal has been a focus of mine, as for a time, they were set up to be a major driving force in Dionae lore. I've quietly been setting the stage for a major rework involving them, but I'd like to hear your direction for them, and how they will compare to the CT-EUM under your tenure.

 

The Eternal is an important aspect for myself as well. I believe that an introduction of the “grey goo” scenario (apologies if it seems I ripped it off you, but swear on my oath I’ve been kicking it around for a few years even way back in my deputy position!) would work well with small changes to the Eternal in regards to being hardline industrialists with little respect for ensuring the sustainability of their actions or society. I do wish to make the Eternal a more integrated aspect of EUM, where it plays a significant role in the internal affairs of the planet. Theocratic Gerontocracy, something already seen with our friends in the Eternal Gardens (District 11).

8 hours ago, Boggle08 said:

3. Themes. For a while, I've been trying to establish a thematic center for the species, concentrating on a competitive dynamic between Spiritual Idealism and Amoral Materialism. The proto-cultural bit I published a while ago was a step in that direction. I'd like to hear your overall thoughts on  discerning themes for the species, so we can compare them.

I believe that the species lacks any defining theme, and it would be necessary to outline it prior to moving forward. I believe this would be done best through a tweaked origin — which does not resemble them being designed for destruction! Apologies if I gave anyone that impression. I do not wish to introduce them as a designed species for destruction. 

However, I do like the Spiritual Idealism and Amoral Materialism, which I think would gel well with a species that consumes (and by consumes, I mean conssuuuuuumes). Again, linking back to the element of being devouring creatures that need it to sustain themselves, at the destruction of their colony/ies.

 

@GeneralCamo @whitewolftamer

[Star Dust]

On 26/08/2023 at 16:46, Caelphon said:

Ckey/BYOND Username: Caelphon

Position Being Applied For: Dionae Lore Writer

Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Yes, I even added addendums to it! 

Past Experiences/Knowledge: I have been Dionae Lore Deputy, Skrell Lore Writer, Deputy Loremaster and Loremaster with the team for around three years if I’m correct. 

Examples of Past Work: 

https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Special:Contributions/Caelphon

 

I have worked on various Lore projects. The most recent being the Queendom, Ouerea, Mictlan’s Expansion, The Trasens and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate re-write. 

Additional Notes:

As per the rules, my position will be vacated. 

My proposal: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WErNy7zb690O9d_cEQVTG2rYWZNBHNdk9QkhrA04htA/edit

I will create a section that I wish to add to Dionae tomorrow morning. Until then, adios!  

Hey, I'm a Diona player, and I've read your thing. So you're like wanting to add a hostile third party to the whole Diona lore which I'm totally down for, but I think you're going in the wrong direction. Instead of jerking them away from the main ideals of Diona, make them stay the same except make them Scarlet scored. Think about it, a massive cetus size Diona who all have been infected with scarlet score/Voided Vocals, they take over old abandoned ships, rebuild them for their own use, and send them out as biological raiders to attack outposts, or even entire planets to kidnap, kill, and eat people, and all their supplies.

Have ANOTHER industrial themed antagonist would just kinda blend in. We have the Exclusionists who are industrial zealots, we have the Lii'dra who are industrial conquerors, having a third industrial hostile group would make it a tad boring in my opinion.

So my opinion stay with the nature theme, stay with the Diona make core stuff, just twist it with the scarlet score, make them an aggressive threat. Think less grey goo, and more like necromorphs/xenomorphs because to me having a hivemind made up of billions of Diona all infected with a sickness that makes them go throughout the galaxy, raid, and kill like monsters would be WAY more scary, and could be used for some dramatic moments in the lore.


Idea I actually posed were these corpse-ships. They were old vessels put together with Diona nymphs, and armed to the teeth, they would fly around frontier space and attack ships, where they would board, kidnap all of the crew and eat them, and then take over the vessel they had stolen. Which is how a corpse-fleet would form slowly over time, until you have massive biological armada's able to raid and take over entire planets to eat their populations. Snowball effect, but the theme should stay the same biological nightmare fuel, not industrial nightmare fuel, we already have more then enough there.

Edited August 27, 2023 by Star Dust

[whitewolftamer]

19 hours ago, Caelphon said:

The Eternal is an important aspect for myself as well. I believe that an introduction of the “grey goo” scenario (apologies if it seems I ripped it off you, but swear on my oath I’ve been kicking it around for a few years even way back in my deputy position!) would work well with small changes to the Eternal in regards to being hardline industrialists with little respect for ensuring the sustainability of their actions or society. I do wish to make the Eternal a more integrated aspect of EUM, where it plays a significant role in the internal affairs of the planet. Theocratic Gerontocracy, something already seen with our friends in the Eternal Gardens (District 11)

I believe a compromise could be struck such to allow characters who are the hardline industrialists who have no desire to ensure stability of their actions while still allowing characters who desire stability, or the general "tree that's J chilling" vibe.

Dionae do not percieve the consumption of living things to be violent, or even murder

To a Diona, when something is consumed, it lives on in them. If Gestalt A consumes Gestalt B, they are assimilated into the greater whole, Gestalt B doesn't die, it simply becomes part of the Gestalt A

In this way war, or even violence are entirely foreign to Diona as to them "Violent" acts are simply a means to an end. A civil war between dionae is simply the coalescence of the weaker gestalts into the greater whole, and once all of the dissidents have been assimilated into the reigning group, whichever ideology bears majority in the newly formed Gestalt simply becomes the new leading Ideology

Here's a scenario to help me properly depict what I'm trying to portray

There are two Groups of Dionae.

Group A, who believes in X

and Group B, who believes in Y

Lets say Group A is more powerful than Group B, but Group B has more people

A civil war breaks out between Group A and Group B. Group A wins, and assimilated Group B into their mass. While the original nymphs of Group A believe in X, the (now majority) nymphs that composed Group B believe in Y, meaning that the Gestalt formed out of Group A and B (let's call it Gestalt AB). Gestalt AB now understands the beliefs and the reasoning behind the beliefs of both groups, meaning that when it splits apart it will likely believe in whichever belief is more accurate to the combined experiences of the greater whole

In this way, "War" to dionae is nothing more than a heated debate. "Violence" is just an argument. Because when a Diona kills and consumes a human, to the Gestalt, that human doesn't truely die, because it has become a part of the gestalt.

Dionae consuming and devouring an entire planet does not seem like to destruction, or ecological devastation to the Dionae, because to them, those living things dont truely die, instead living on within the Dionae. When Dionae consume planets, there is no guilt or strife, because nothing dies, instead it's brought with them to the next planet, and the next, and the next.

With this, more primal/unrefined Dionae could easily lean into the "All-Consuming Devourers" aspect of the Dionae, where-as more "civilized"/refined Dionae could place themselves into the perspective of the other races, and even though they themselves do not view it as destruction, they can recognize why others would see it that way, and refrain from doing so.

I've also spitballed some quotes that might work for like a Diona philosopher or something if this is accepted as canon

"It is... the nature of all... living things to... expand... And yet... We have expanded... And we are scorned for doing so... Has humanity not... expanded..? Has humanity not... consumed..? The... Sinta on... Moghes... Have they not... torn their world... apart..? Are we not... The same as them..? The vaurca... claim innocence... above even the... Skrell... And yet... their myths tell of... the extinction of a race... extinguished by... chitinous claws... You claim... Like many others that... We are horrid... That We are wretched... That We are worse... And yet... I see no other who is not... the same..."
-Recollection of Myriad Forms Across Untellable Galaxies

"We... Do not hate... We... Do not kill... You claim that We... are destroyers... that we remove all that is... not us... But this is not... true... All that is... consumed does not... die... It is Us... We are that which... is consumed... We have not killed... and we never will... For we offer... Eternal life..."
-Perpetuation of Foreign Psyches Through Subsumption

[Caelphon]

6 hours ago, Star Dust said:

Hey, I'm a Diona player, and I've read your thing. So you're like wanting to add a hostile third party to the whole Diona lore which I'm totally down for, but I think you're going in the wrong direction. Instead of jerking them away from the main ideals of Diona, make them stay the same except make them Scarlet scored. Think about it, a massive cetus size Diona who all have been infected with scarlet score/Voided Vocals, they take over old abandoned ships, rebuild them for their own use, and send them out as biological raiders to attack outposts, or even entire planets to kidnap, kill, and eat people, and all their supplies.

Have ANOTHER industrial themed antagonist would just kinda blend in. We have the Exclusionists who are industrial zealots, we have the Lii'dra who are industrial conquerors, having a third industrial hostile group would make it a tad boring in my opinion.

So my opinion stay with the nature theme, stay with the Diona make core stuff, just twist it with the scarlet score, make them an aggressive threat. Think less grey goo, and more like necromorphs/xenomorphs because to me having a hivemind made up of billions of Diona all infected with a sickness that makes them go throughout the galaxy, raid, and kill like monsters would be WAY more scary, and could be used for some dramatic moments in the lore.


Idea I actually posed were these corpse-ships. They were old vessels put together with Diona nymphs, and armed to the teeth, they would fly around frontier space and attack ships, where they would board, kidnap all of the crew and eat them, and then take over the vessel they had stolen. Which is how a corpse-fleet would form slowly over time, until you have massive biological armada's able to raid and take over entire planets to eat their populations. Snowball effect, but the theme should stay the same biological nightmare fuel, not industrial nightmare fuel, we already have more then enough there.

Hi there, thanks for your feedback!

I don’t think we need to add another faction for Dionae currently, nor another primarily antagonist faction. We’ve saturated the lore with them for a bit already, and think it’s necessary that the species itself needs to be adjusted and re-themed to a central approach.

3 hours ago, whitewolftamer said:

I believe a compromise could be struck such to allow characters who are the hardline industrialists who have no desire to ensure stability of their actions while still allowing characters who desire stability, or the general "tree that's J chilling" vibe.

Dionae do not percieve the consumption of living things to be violent, or even murder

To a Diona, when something is consumed, it lives on in them. If Gestalt A consumes Gestalt B, they are assimilated into the greater whole, Gestalt B doesn't die, it simply becomes part of the Gestalt A

In this way war, or even violence are entirely foreign to Diona as to them "Violent" acts are simply a means to an end. A civil war between dionae is simply the coalescence of the weaker gestalts into the greater whole, and once all of the dissidents have been assimilated into the reigning group, whichever ideology bears majority in the newly formed Gestalt simply becomes the new leading Ideology

Here's a scenario to help me properly depict what I'm trying to portray

There are two Groups of Dionae.

Group A, who believes in X

and Group B, who believes in Y

Lets say Group A is more powerful than Group B, but Group B has more people

A civil war breaks out between Group A and Group B. Group A wins, and assimilated Group B into their mass. While the original nymphs of Group A believe in X, the (now majority) nymphs that composed Group B believe in Y, meaning that the Gestalt formed out of Group A and B (let's call it Gestalt AB). Gestalt AB now understands the beliefs and the reasoning behind the beliefs of both groups, meaning that when it splits apart it will likely believe in whichever belief is more accurate to the combined experiences of the greater whole

In this way, "War" to dionae is nothing more than a heated debate. "Violence" is just an argument. Because when a Diona kills and consumes a human, to the Gestalt, that human doesn't truely die, because it has become a part of the gestalt.

Dionae consuming and devouring an entire planet does not seem like to destruction, or ecological devastation to the Dionae, because to them, those living things dont truely die, instead living on within the Dionae. When Dionae consume planets, there is no guilt or strife, because nothing dies, instead it's brought with them to the next planet, and the next, and the next.

With this, more primal/unrefined Dionae could easily lean into the "All-Consuming Devourers" aspect of the Dionae, where-as more "civilized"/refined Dionae could place themselves into the perspective of the other races, and even though they themselves do not view it as destruction, they can recognize why others would see it that way, and refrain from doing so.

I've also spitballed some quotes that might work for like a Diona philosopher or something if this is accepted as canon

"It is... the nature of all... living things to... expand... And yet... We have expanded... And we are scorned for doing so... Has humanity not... expanded..? Has humanity not... consumed..? The... Sinta on... Moghes... Have they not... torn their world... apart..? Are we not... The same as them..? The vaurca... claim innocence... above even the... Skrell... And yet... their myths tell of... the extinction of a race... extinguished by... chitinous claws... You claim... Like many others that... We are horrid... That We are wretched... That We are worse... And yet... I see no other who is not... the same..."
-Recollection of Myriad Forms Across Untellable Galaxies

"We... Do not hate... We... Do not kill... You claim that We... are destroyers... that we remove all that is... not us... But this is not... true... All that is... consumed does not... die... It is Us... We are that which... is consumed... We have not killed... and we never will... For we offer... Eternal life..."
-Perpetuation of Foreign Psyches Through Subsumption

I did enjoy these ideas, and I think this would be an element I would like to explore regarding the psychological approach to their consumerism and whatnot, should I be accepted.

[RustingWithYou]

I don't know, I don't think this guy has enough lore experience, =1.

In all seriousness, I think that the work you've done on the lore team more than speaks for itself. On the projects that I've worked with you on, you've always been a great asset and I think that you're more than qualified for pretty much any lore team position we have. That being said, I do have a few questions, namely regarding the interaction of Dionae and other species.

1. Diona coexist with a lot of species in a lot of places, but a lot of the time that connection can feel kind of one-way, without the Dionae really contributing much to the other species. Putting aside stuff like the Eternal in Biesel for a moment, do you have any ideas for expanding on the role that Dionae play in the Federation or the Hegemony, and how they could become more active participants in those two states? 

2. Speaking of the Eternal, they're one of the major Diona factions of the Spur, yet they haven't been that involved in many events or arcs lately - is there anything in particular you'd like to do with them, or a direction you'd like to take them in? 

3. The Tarwa Conglomerate is a faction that, while primarily falling under Unathi lore, has quite a lot of Diona integration and has an approach to the idea of Diona symbiosis that we don't really have anywhere else. Is there anything you'd like to do with the walking undead pirate trope this faction, or would you be intent to keep them as they are, largely a background element/occasional ghostrole?

[Caelphon]

Hi there! Thank you for the questions. 

In regards to the Hegemony-Dionae Relations

12 minutes ago, RustingWithYou said:

1. Diona coexist with a lot of species in a lot of places, but a lot of the time that connection can feel kind of one-way, without the Dionae really contributing much to the other species. Putting aside stuff like the Eternal in Biesel for a moment, do you have any ideas for expanding on the role that Dionae play in the Federation or the Hegemony, and how they could become more active participants in those two states? 

I do have plans in particular for the Hegemony-Dionae relations, in particular their necessity to clearing of radiation outside of the Terraforming Machines in the Wasteland. This would factor into my plans to also expand on the Eternal as a more "intrinsic" element of Dionae, where it is essentially not a religion, but a motif for their existence. It is ingrained into every existing Dionae, and yes one may elect to pursue another way of thinking, but the Eternal will "always be there" sort of internal conflict. I'd like to expand on this relationship (and more so their presence) with a combination of: 

Quote

1. ... are cultivated by clans that purchase nymphs from traders and poachers ...

The trading of Dionae on Moghes, in particular how Dionae are impacted by this during their lifespans on the once-blooming planet. Though perhaps a controversial take, I think it is one that would be a good addition to in-character building and how it impacts Dionae. 

Quote

2. Dionae within the Unathi sphere of influence are primarily Th’akhist...

...first contact was established between Dionae and Unathi by dropping corpses into the craters housing the dionae that crashed down onto the planet...

...Manifestations of the Voided Vocals mind type are considered to be corrupted vessels containing the fragmented souls of the dead. Due to their propensity to continue eating the dead, they are often cited as being dark avatars of Dalsalsko, and hunted for their corrupting influence...

These three sentences spoke the most to me, and I think they have massive potential for expanding on Dionae's integration into the planet, while also leaning onto the species on themes, instead of always "parasitising" other themes from other locations/species. I'd begin by re-writing the religious experiences and introducing a "mashing" of the Eternal and Th'akhism, alongside expanding the idea brought forward by @whitewolftamer in regards to Dionae do not see death as finality, but instead continuous within themselves and through that they seek consumption, though primarily of radiation as opposed to other available resources due to its importance to the Eternal. I'd also like to lean into the idea that these Voided Vocals being the bogeymen of Moghes, in that they exist as "trophies" for Unathi to venture into the Wasteland in regards to possibly proving themselves as acclaimed warriors to their clans. 

I'd also like to revamp the section to honour so it is more consistent with my vision above, if the Unathi Team agrees. 

In regards to the Federation-Dionae Relationship: 
 

Again, re-introducing the Eternal to the species and how it impacts them within the Federation. Especially with the Federation's approach to the Social Credit System, and in particular Xrim. There is something really big I'd like to do with Xrim, that I attempted to do a while ago, and that involved massively expanding it and it becoming a pseudo-vassal within the Nralakk Federation with significant overwatch from the Federation as a result of its history of revering Glorsh-Omega. I think Xrim has massive potential to be something that can be developed into something of considerable interest to not only Dionae players but the rest of the playerbase. https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Xrim&oldid=18853 This was one of my first renditions of Xrim, and I'd like to take it in a similar direction once again. 

Otherwise, I have nothing I currently see changing, if perhaps making the Dionae are more "watched" or "monitored" species within the Federation due to their status as being possibly dangerous. 

32 minutes ago, RustingWithYou said:

2. Speaking of the Eternal, they're one of the major Diona factions of the Spur, yet they haven't been that involved in many events or arcs lately - is there anything in particular you'd like to do with them, or a direction you'd like to take them in? 

I do plan on starting off with an Arc that makes them significantly more important to Dionae, and changing a little of the history regarding the Eternal. Its first existence was that there existed a conglomerate of Dionae that rivalled even the largest stars, sending messages to its "children" or "followers" from across the stars to perform its will. I would like to begin by saying the Eternal Leader on Biesel claims to have had his signal "severed" or the Eternal has gone "quiet" and introducing a new character that claims to be a prophet from the Eternal, and that they will usher in a new age of spirituality, with the Eternal being divided on this approach, as well as Epsilon Ursae Minoris hosting several significant religious ceremonies and deliberating on how to move forward, again leaning into the Theocratic Gerontocracy I wish to introduce. 

35 minutes ago, RustingWithYou said:

3. The Tarwa Conglomerate is a faction that, while primarily falling under Unathi lore, has quite a lot of Diona integration and has an approach to the idea of Diona symbiosis that we don't really have anywhere else. Is there anything you'd like to do with the walking undead pirate trope this faction, or would you be intent to keep them as they are, largely a background element/occasional ghostrole?

Possibly, I'm not entire sure of how I'd do it right now, if I have to truly be honest. 

[Star Dust]

I have a few questions regarding your statements about your plans with the eternal and Epsilon.

1. Will the eternal have any of its main three branches of faith removed? I'm mostly concerned about the Blood Eternal being washed/sanitised, removed, or make it forbidden for crew to follow/preach such a mindset.

2. Will the Epsilon Ursae Minoris be radically changed from a confederacy of states to something else? And if so, what will it be?

[Caelphon]

Hi there, thanks for the questions!

53 minutes ago, Star Dust said:

I have a few questions regarding your statements about your plans with the eternal and Epsilon.

1. Will the eternal have any of its main three branches of faith removed? I'm mostly concerned about the Blood Eternal being washed/sanitised, removed, or make it forbidden for crew to follow/preach such a mindset.

2. Will the Epsilon Ursae Minoris be radically changed from a confederacy of states to something else? And if so, what will it be?

1. I have no plans to remove any of the branches, but instead expand on them and their impact on Dionae. I solemnly believe that the Eternal is ripe with potential for engaging, interesting content that can be used more dynamically with the species. My plan is to primarily integrate Xrim's reverence of Glorsh-Omega and Iron Eternal to be where it originated from, and tie it more into that than its current existence of having merely "popped" into belief. 

2. I do not seek to change its current existence of how it currently manages itself, but moreso how it goes about managing itself (confusing I know) through trimming some of the sections, and expanding on existing sections relating to how planetary unification works. I enjoy the name, having come up with it, "Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris" which has a nice ring to it -- though perhaps shift it from Co-operative to Covenant, so we can all it "The Covenant" as a more unique name, but I understand the implications from borrowing such a name (with reference to Halo's "The Flood"). 

[Star Dust]

2 minutes ago, Caelphon said:

Hi there, thanks for the questions!

1. I have no plans to remove any of the branches, but instead expand on them and their impact on Dionae. I solemnly believe that the Eternal is ripe with potential for engaging, interesting content that can be used more dynamically with the species. My plan is to primarily integrate Xrim's reverence of Glorsh-Omega and Iron Eternal to be where it originated from, and tie it more into that than its current existence of having merely "popped" into belief. 

2. I do not seek to change its current existence of how it currently manages itself, but moreso how it goes about managing itself (confusing I know) through trimming some of the sections, and expanding on existing sections relating to how planetary unification works. I enjoy the name, having come up with it, "Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris" which has a nice ring to it -- though perhaps shift it from Co-operative to Covenant, so we can all it "The Covenant" as a more unique name, but I understand the implications from borrowing such a name (with reference to Halo's "The Flood"). 

I feel like a Covenant would be to religious sounding, and since not all member-states are theoretically focused, I feel it it'd be better to call them the Confederate Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris. For a Confederacy would perfectly match their planets style of government.

Lastly then, final question. Plans for the Blood Eternal?

Edited August 28, 2023 by Star Dust

[Caelphon]

7 minutes ago, Star Dust said:

Lastly then, final question. Plans for the Blood Eternal?

I'd like to factor that into my expansion on Moghes Dionae, and their consumption of Unathi having perished following the atomic cataclysm, and expand the religion there with elements of Th'akh. I think it would mesh well together, as having formed as a mashing. 

[Star Dust]

9 minutes ago, Caelphon said:

I'd like to factor that into my expansion on Moghes Dionae, and their consumption of Unathi having perished following the atomic cataclysm, and expand the religion there with elements of Th'akh. I think it would mesh well together, as having formed as a mashing. 

Could the blood eternal belief be outside of Unathi lore as well? For some might not want to be tied to Unathi lore, or have different characters connected to other regions.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Star Dust

[Caelphon]

2 hours ago, Star Dust said:

Could the blood eternal belief be outside of Unathi lore as well? For some might not want to be tied to Unathi lore, or have different characters connected to other regions.

Of course, I imagine it would also be something commonly found across Voidic Dionae as well, and would tie in especially with my idea of the "hardline industrialist" view. I would likely expand its existence on EUM as well, with caveats as to how it is viewed by different Dionae and whatnot. 

[Caelphon]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ntxA61vf3WZO9eO9TJRB91RIwi4wJ6zB7QETIWn05yU/edit?usp=sharing

This is my intended expansion of the Eternal, a stepping stone in the direction I wish to take. 

[Boggle08]

Upon further reflection, I have problems with the idea of us biologically programming strong tendencies towards Industrial consumption and an intrinsic motivation to be part of the eternal. Or the idea of Dionae, as a biological mechanism, having clearly defined and definitively set parameters that motivate and guide them.

At an individual character level, this will result in a dichotomy of characters either fully accepting the ontology laid out before them on the wiki, or spitefully rejecting it, which is something that has been seen with so many other backgrounds in different forms(Dominia and the Trinary come to mind). I think it will not bring anything new to the table in terms of interaction.

At a macro setting level, however, it will become less ambiguous as to whether or not Dionae are good for the Orion Spur. It will make more sense for most factions not to engage with them, and treat them like an active liability. The writing for the Cravers in ES2 suits that respective setting and gameplay: They are meant to cover the entire board through conquest before the resource depletion mechanics of their systems seriously cripples their war effort. They enslave, then eat, the people they conquer. They do not even get most diplomacy options. If we were to borrow from this direction too closely, we'd have more in common with Hivebots and the Lii'dra by the end of it. At worst, we'd have to start contriving reasons for Dionae to be playable on the ship.

For me, one of our species' greatest strengths is their ambiguity. They are insanely long lived, having the potential to have encountered other species not seen within and without the Orion Spur, and a lifespan and memory that reaches far back enough to predate almost every single current power in the spur. My interest in them as a fabricated life form has a more Lovecraftian spin on it, where we don't know to what end they were made for, what they are capable of, whether or not they've lost their purpose, or if that purpose is simply being subconsciously carried out or laying dormant until the conditions are right. I believe this uncertainty is more appealing, as it allows entities external from dionae to come up with their own interpretations and theory about the nature of the species, and for dionae themselves to speculate as well. At the individual character level, it provides our base with an internal struggle with an existential bend. Whether or not you have free will, or if you're just going to disassociate one day into becoming a tendril of The Makers.

For now, I still prefer you as a candidate for Lead Dionae Writer, but I have to know if we can consolidate our ideas and work something out once you're in. I do like what you're presenting for the most part, and there are Dionae factions that do and don't exist yet that would benefit immensely from this direction, but I don't think it's to our benefit to use them to define the entire character of the species. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Boggle08

[whitewolftamer]

9 hours ago, Caelphon said:

I'd like to factor that into my expansion on Moghes Dionae, and their consumption of Unathi having perished following the atomic cataclysm, and expand the religion there with elements of Th'akh. I think it would mesh well together, as having formed as a mashing. 

If you're going to toy with the blood eternal and the wastes of moghes, here's something fun for you to chew on. Bones have a lot of DNA in them.

Assuming skeletons aren't fossilized (and sometimes even when fossilized) they have a lot of DNA stored. 

Meaning...

Dionae in the wastes could stumble upon the corpses of Unathi from the contact war who have been entirely picked clean by Siro and other wasteland creatures, whose only remaining body is their skeleton, and entirely consume them. And although they would not have flesh or blood, they still have the DNA from bone. 

Meaning...

A clan of traditionalists who fought against the Hegemony may have had an ominous moment where a diona wandering the wastes consumed the bones of their prior clanmaster, and tracked them down to take back their leadership. A Unathi who was dead for 20 years is now alive again through a Diona. And they want their power back.

Or other things like that. It's just sort of a fun concept to toy with.

[Caelphon]

10 hours ago, Boggle08 said:

For now, I still prefer you as a candidate for Lead Dionae Writer, but I have to know if we can consolidate our ideas and work something out once you're in. I do like what you're presenting for the most part, and there are Dionae factions that do and don't exist yet that would benefit immensely from this direction, but I don't think it's to our benefit to use them to define the entire character of the species. 

I believe compromises are a necessary step for any team to work, and communication. I will always ensure the deputies have their voice and opinion heard on any development moving forward, I do try my best as Loremaster, and I have no doubts this will carry over to Dionae Lore. I hope that helps any worries?

[Boggle08]

9 hours ago, Caelphon said:

I believe compromises are a necessary step for any team to work, and communication. I will always ensure the deputies have their voice and opinion heard on any development moving forward, I do try my best as Loremaster, and I have no doubts this will carry over to Dionae Lore. I hope that helps any worries?

Sounds good to me.

[Triogenix]

You easily have the chops for this role, and I think you'll be a great Diona Writer. Application accepted.