Halloween Spooktacular Assunzione Lore Additions

[Minzeyes]

Lore Impact: Large 

Species: Human/Synth

Short Description: Adds more flavor to Assunzione. A faction focused on exploring Light’s Edge, an expansion on the planet's relationship to the megacorporations and also some tid-bits on academic and infraestructural institutions.

How will this be reflected on-station: The proposed lore adds a large, but not-too-powerful organization to the lore in the form of the AEC, as well as two named universities and some good old corporate antagonism sprinkled in. My hope is that it gives Assunzionii characters more to work with, both with regards to cultural background and personal backstory.

Does this addition do anything not achieved by what already exists?: I am confident it does, as the additions themselves are very contained to the planet of Assunzione itself.

Do you understand that the project may change over time in ways you may not foresee once it is handed over to the Lore Team?: Yup! and I’m perfectly fine with that, even if it would admittedly bum me out some to see the architectural bit in particular get cut.

Long Description: While speaking with a couple people who play Assunzionii characters, I came to the conclusion that while really intriguing as a whole, the current lore on the planet could use some more fluff - more concrete facts about its cultural landscape and history for people to use as building blocks for their character's backstory. My intention was to further flesh out the Republic’s overall aesthetic and cultural values, as well as write out a more extensive account of its relationship with the corporate entities in the Spur; adding some more spooky Light’s Edge stuff to the mix. I’ve also rewritten some of the lore on Assunzionii positronics, and added a "notable humans" section on Alden Saraspova, the single most important man on the entire Orion Spur.

Link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qd6fIeb_LTz91pk7tlN65TvbUVNE154cjdC-9NCAeB4/edit?usp=sharing

I attached some sprites for Assunzionii Expeditionary Corps scouts - with and without their scripture-cloaks.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Minzeyes

[Duthco]

I adore Assunzione. When looking for a background for the first characters I made, I was taken with the origin, so I really appreciate the effort to develop the planet's lore.

Roughly following the order of the linked long-description document (Note there are elements therein for which I don't presently have comments. To other readers, please consult the long-description for yourself. A fair amount of work has clearly gone into it.):

• Love the aesthetic of dense cities of Gothic-ish architecture, and it could gel really well some of the vibes I get from Assunzione.
  • A logistical element that offers a flavor opportunity: for such monumental undertakings as cities of stonework not carved entirely out of the rock below, that stone or those bricks (or the material(s) thereof) need to come from somewhere, and the how and why could be interesting, especially with the above proposal noting a somewhat rocky relationship with Hephaestus Industries.  
  • Below is a brief argument about the Mediterranean-ness of Gothic architecture that may or may not matter at all (per the cultural style of Assunzione), but in short, I think it should be considered Mediterranean-enough. It gets arguably rambly, so I have it spoiler-ed.

Spoiler

• What strikes me as the major concern is, while the Gothic architectural movement did spread throughout Europe from its origins in Northern France, it could be argued that it isn't exactly as Mediterranean as, for example, its immediate predecessor or successor, Romanesque or Renaissance architectural styles, despite there existing various Mediterranean sub-schools of Gothic architecture. 
• However, the Gothic style was heavily influenced by the Romanesque style that did originate as local fusions of ancient Roman and Byzantine architecture, and throughout its time, it absorbed a number of Pan-European elements as well.
• Then, Renaissance architecture seems to primarily be a classical [read: Greco-Roman] revival movement as well as a reaction to Gothic architecture, in so far as that it was Renaissance-chic to be "out with the recently old, and in with the new and classically old."
  • Nevertheless, they continued building Gothic Cathedrals, so...

• All of that said, I think that style, with all of its flying buttresses, incorporating some Renaissance-ness and Baroque-ness, could make for a very neat look, especially when taking into consideration the necessary adaptations meant to meet the needs of a fairly dense urban environment in 2465, as each domed metropolitan area plays host to between 35 million and 100 million residents.
  • I imagine stone catwalk-sidewalks, mezzanines, and atria. A distribution of space not dissimilar to how Hollow Knight's City of Tears makes use of vertical space.

Something worth remembering: per discussion of the domed cities: the cities' domes themselves, are not the only domes. There are smaller domes radiating out from each city's center, as a central hub-"bulb"-dome. So while population density is definitely high, it isn't as high as it might be, were we to forget this. 

 

• I really dig the concept of the Assunzione Expeditionary Corps and the spritework for their void/hardsuits.
  • Given that the organization manages to keep the majority of findings secret, I am curious about the kinds of things that people think they've found, given nothing breeds speculation quite like what is effectively an information embargo. 
  • I would also imagine that such institutional secrecy would enable rather severe abuses of power. I wonder if there have been any examples of this yet.  
  • On the note of the AEC, I quite like the noted detrimental psychological effects suffered by some of their number, as a bit of organic depth to exploring the space between spaces for prolonged periods. 
    • I wonder if a native Assunzionii is more or less susceptible to "Light's Edge Syndrome" than the average space-farer similarly subjected.
• I really like the idea of local universities with a focus on Anomalistic Sciences within their Colleges of Natural Science. 
  • On a nitpick regarding the name of the proposed Triesto Federal University: By my understanding (per the wiki), the Republic of Assunzione is not necessarily a federation, in fact, the Republic could conceivably behave like a confederation or league of seven city-states, not unlike the 4th century BCE's Hellenic League, (League of Corinth) with an elected President in lieu of a Hegemon. I personally think this is more interesting a government type than a federal-republic.

 

• I thought the section about a near mythological Dr. Alden Saraspova was humorous, but I'm personally partial to an Alden and a Saraspova being the surnames of two different scientists.

My attitude regarding this is founded mostly in how the exotic energies meter bearing the names does so connected by a hyphen, suggesting a pair rather than a singular scientist. This is a practice extremely common in physics and mathematics. I count no fewer than a handful of examples of exactly this on the Wikipedia page for Maxwell's Equations alone.

That said, the way all the supposed achievements of the individual are listed has a very collegiate-mythologization feel, so good flavor nevertheless for how an incoming freshman might be regaled of the man, the myth, the legend, even if it's not quite my cup of tea. 

 

I might have more commentary once I've had more time to chew on it.

Thanks for your time.

[Zelmana]

I agree with the Alden-Saraspova comment being two distinct scientists above.

[pocheto]

Make Alden and Saraspova gay for each other.

I love the anomaly shit! They need more lore.

[Minzeyes]

Thank you for taking time out of your day to reply to this, I really appreciate it! a lot of the comments made were very insightful, so this is me desperately struggling to respond to it at all.
 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

A logistical element that offers a flavor opportunity: for such monumental undertakings as cities of stonework not carved entirely out of the rock below, that stone or those bricks (or the material(s) thereof) need to come from somewhere, and the how and why could be interesting, especially with the above proposal noting a somewhat rocky relationship with Hephaestus Industries.  

First and foremost - this, yesss. This is something that completely slipped my mind while actually writing the document, but it does open a door into some really intriguing possibilities I’d be glad to explore and flesh out. Three concepts immediately pop into my mind after reading the words, “Those materials need to come from somewhere" following a similar through line. It’s a lot, so I’m putting a drop-down spoiler thing here. (also hehheheh, rocky)
 

Spoiler

The first is from a small mention at the very start of Assunzione’s original article - “Dome structures powered by the one source of fuel that was not freezing or disappearing: geothermal energy.”

It’s a very compelling notion, in my opinion - that a people so utterly mortified of darkness on a cultural level would survive solely due to gargantuan wells beneath their homes, cutting pathways directly to it. What would life be like for a worker in those plants? secluded, surrounded only by a skeleton crew and the rhythmic beeping of automated machinery -  a short walk away from depths one’s mind can hardly comprehend? I think these brief brushes with the dark in a society so obsessed with light would be cool to delve into.

This is all to (very long-windedly) say that my first idea would be having these building materials be something discovered doing the original excavation of these plants, yet largely set aside, considering they wouldn’t realistically have a reason to use any at the time. Kept aside, these were used years later during the very first post-calamity urban overhaul - which in turn meant more needed energy, which in turn meant more wells - which, in turn, meant more surplus material to work with, leading to evermore ambitious projects. Could easily be taken to a point where full-on excavation of these resources is implemented, leading to a lot more interesting, horrifying connotations regarding the lives of Assunzionii in the mining industry - could be penal workers or outside contractors, as I don't imagine anyone but the most desperate would subject themselves to that sort of work.

My second idea, relatively similarly - is just to say that the Council of Seven sent several semi-permanent mining expeditions to nearby planets, another semi scientific, semi utilitarian project co-authored and funded by Zeng-Hu. Again, serves to flesh out what happens when someone is exposed long-term to isolation within the Lemurian Sea, as well as the system Assunzione is situated in. Would love to write up incident reports regarding these remote mining colonies.

Lastly, it could instead be established that said urban reconstruction was aided largely by one or several other planets in the Coalition - an IC show of good faith that would also help further cement Assunzione’s niche/relationship with the other ‘nearby’ planets. 

 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

Below is a brief argument about the Mediterranean-ness of Gothic architecture that may or may not matter at all (per the cultural style of Assunzione), but in short, I think it should be considered Mediterranean-enough. It gets arguably rambly, so I have it spoiler-ed.

This I have admittedly very little context for, vis a vis IRL architectural history - though I did find what you added a genuinely very cool read. Tried doing some research of my own; found it a little confusing to say the least lol. Some places list Mediterranean Gothic as its own architectural movement (sub-movement?? splinter movement??) but all in all, I’d say Gothic more than works as a catch-all term for what I had pictured for Assunzione, as the mental image came mostly from the Milan Cathedral in Italy. Gothic Revival, apparently - which IMO fits perfectly with attempting to invoke old-world religious grandeur.

 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

All of that said, I think that style, with all of its flying buttresses, incorporating some Renaissance-ness and Baroque-ness, could make for a very neat look, especially when taking into consideration the necessary adaptations meant to meet the needs of a fairly dense urban environment in 2465, as each domed metropolitan area plays host to between 35 million and 100 million residents.

• I imagine stone catwalk-sidewalks, mezzanines, and atria. A distribution of space not dissimilar to how Hollow Knight's City of Tears makes use of vertical space.

 

Excellent way to describe it, IMO - makes me really want to further flesh out what my original description left mostly just implied. Just, this interwoven web of flauntingly ornate architecture, all of it bathed in shimmering light to almost ethereal effect. I did fail to take into consideration Assunzione's smaller sub-domes, as you mentioned - which would let me add some variety into the mix as well. I imagine Triesto's smaller domes might house the wealthiest of its population, while Iraklio's would likely host hyper-niche industrial sectors. (Really made me think of how overlooked Iraklio as a whole seems to be, I should type up a blurb on how its culture has shifted post-calamity - especially since the original article implies it's built either by a sea or massive lake.)
 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

Given that the organization manages to keep the majority of findings secret, I am curious about the kinds of things that people think they've found, given nothing breeds speculation quite like what is effectively an information embargo. 

This is a well of potential, honestly. I was hesitant to add too much information regarding their findings only to have the faction get denied altogether (I feel when it comes to things breaking reality within a setting, the line between "just strange enough to be macabre and off-putting" and "out there enough that there's a jarring tonal dissonance" is pretty hard to walk) but making a more concrete section about rumors regarding the group is a very good way around that. Anything from extranet conspiracy theories to alleged whistleblowers going to the media.

Just off the top of my head, I imagine rumor would circulate around either evidence of horrifyingly intelligent life in the Lemurian, exceptionally powerful artifacts the corpos want to make into superweapons, or just plain confusing reports of seemingly time-breaking phenomena. I like the mental image of an AEC vessel, returning home on a slightly altered route - only to have a mirror of itself fly slowly past its own windows.

As for the abuses of power, that comes mostly in the form of grievously awful working conditions for the Rangers themselves - delving into Light's Edge far more than a sane mind could ever endure, forbidden from seeking non-Zeng psychological aid due to draconian NDAs, and ever-so-mysteriously vanishing on occasion, never to be seen again.  I don't imagine you get to just go home, if an anomalous artifact is proved to have had a permanent effect on your body.

I'd say Assunzionii are less susceptible to 'Light's Edge Syndrome', as it goes with the preestablished lore of their presence in said missions somehow lessening mortality rates - but, maybe they get hit the hardest when it does occur, something to that effect.

 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

n a nitpick regarding the name of the proposed Triesto Federal University: By my understanding (per the wiki), the Republic of Assunzione is not necessarily a federation, in fact, the Republic could conceivably behave like a confederation or league of seven city-states, not unlike the 4th century BCE's Hellenic League, (League of Corinth) with an elected President in lieu of a Hegemon. I personally think this is more interesting a government type than a federal-republic.

I don't really mind either way, personally - though the article you liked does make me partial to just using the original term Synedrion itself, since it just plain sounds cool.
Definitely didn't mean to imply a lessened autonomy for Assunzione's individual cities, either way.
 

On 01/11/2023 at 05:19, Duthco said:

• I thought the section about a near mythological Dr. Alden Saraspova was humorous, but I'm personally partial to an Alden and a Saraspova being the surnames of two different scientists.

My attitude regarding this is founded mostly in how the exotic energies meter bearing the names does so connected by a hyphen, suggesting a pair rather than a singular scientist. This is a practice extremely common in physics and mathematics. I count no fewer than a handful of examples of exactly this on the Wikipedia page for Maxwell's Equations alone.

That said, the way all the supposed achievements of the individual are listed has a very collegiate-mythologization feel, so good flavor nevertheless for how an incoming freshman might be regaled of the man, the myth, the legend, even if it's not quite my cup of tea. 

This is something I had pointed out to me just shortly after finishing the section on Alden Saraspova as one guy, lmfao. Definitely agree the hyphen implies two people, but found the little section too amusing to just cut. Could remedy it in several ways - either keep it as is, change it to be two mysterious researchers instead of the one or write down far more concrete blurbs about Doctor Alden and Doctor Saraspova respectively, then make "Alden Saraspova" as one entity an IC phenomenon sprouted from the same misunderstanding I had IRL.

I'd personally find it funny if there was a different, unrelated scientist just named Alden Saraspova - or even if both scientists who worked on anomalous particle research happened to have the exact same name.

Anyhow - sorry for the long reply, I hope it's satisfactory.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Minzeyes

[NewOriginalSchwann]

First, please accept our apologies for the delay in getting to this. Second, I’m pleased to announce that it has been accepted! Pending editing we’ll hopefully see it on the wiki very soon.