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Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
    |
Posted - 2008.09.03 21:31:00 -
[1]
Show your work!
-Everybody's Third Grade Teacher
CCP, it must be said, has done an absolutely fantastic job of providing us a rich, three-dimensional universe to stretch out in, complete with a full, three-dimensional scheme of cultures and races. Unfortunately, many of the traits of these races are more hinted at than explored in detail.
As someone who thinks and writes about the Achura (a lot) and the quirks and seeming contradictions of their faith and culture (which are, to a large degree, one and the same), I've been asked by a fellow, interested player to lay out some of my thoughts.
I should start by giving credit where it's due: Naoko Onamori's excellent "Achura Canonical Resources" provided my initial grounding in the race, and is, unlike my own work, entirely and unambiguously canon.
Also, I should say at the outset that a great deal of what I have to say here is entirely speculative, based on extrapolation from what CCP has provided. This guide is, at its heart, a series of educated guess, often guess piled upon guess. This is, you might say, a flimsy structure on which to base a life-- but for the creation of a fully-realized, three dimensional character, we frankly haven't been given anything more than the roughest of sketches. I will attempt to make up for this shortcoming by including the logic by which I reach any conclusion I come to. Until CCP produces something more authoritative, I'm afraid this is the best I can do.
----
The main canonical resource for the Achura is, as noted by Ms. Onamori, the character creation brief on the bloodline. The Achura, we are told, originate on Saisio III (Monk brief), though it's not clear whether they have their own name for their homeworld. The fact that no other specific name is given the planet suggests that, at least for purposes of dealing with outsiders, they're content to call it as it's more generally known.
[Paused due to interruption; To be continued]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.03 21:31:00 -
[2]
Show your work!
-Everybody's Third Grade Teacher
CCP, it must be said, has done an absolutely fantastic job of providing us a rich, three-dimensional universe to stretch out in, complete with a full, three-dimensional scheme of cultures and races. Unfortunately, many of the traits of these races are more hinted at than explored in detail.
As someone who thinks and writes about the Achura (a lot) and the quirks and seeming contradictions of their faith and culture (which are, to a large degree, one and the same), I've been asked by a fellow, interested player to lay out some of my thoughts.
I should start by giving credit where it's due: Naoko Onamori's excellent "Achura Canonical Resources" provided my initial grounding in the race, and is, unlike my own work, entirely and unambiguously canon.
Also, I should say at the outset that a great deal of what I have to say here is entirely speculative, based on extrapolation from what CCP has provided. This guide is, at its heart, a series of educated guess, often guess piled upon guess. This is, you might say, a flimsy structure on which to base a life-- but for the creation of a fully-realized, three dimensional character, we frankly haven't been given anything more than the roughest of sketches. I will attempt to make up for this shortcoming by including the logic by which I reach any conclusion I come to. Until CCP produces something more authoritative, I'm afraid this is the best I can do.
----
The main canonical resource for the Achura is, as noted by Ms. Onamori, the character creation brief on the bloodline. The Achura, we are told, originate on Saisio III (Monk brief), though it's not clear whether they have their own name for their homeworld. The fact that no other specific name is given the planet suggests that, at least for purposes of dealing with outsiders, they're content to call it as it's more generally known.
[Paused due to interruption; To be continued]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 01:28:00 -
[3]
Spirituality (canonical)
This much we are told outright:
The Achura ...
* are exceedingly religious
* are flatly disinterested in the material world
* are mystical enough to be widely interested in astrology and related concepts, yet practical enough not to take it literally
* widely believe in at least one god (The Creator), have (well, had) at least one relic of this deity (the Creator's Rod), and very likely have a great many others (no source whatever suggesting monotheistic belief system). Specific gods do not otherwise seem central enough to merit mention in canonical resources to date, however.
* monks seek to perfect the soul by perfecting the body
* religion is not actually "organized," as such
* believe in a soul (of some description)
* consider invention a spiritual act, pulling ideas from the "universal consciousness" (ah-HA!)
... I say "ah-ha" because this last establishes a framework on which to hang the rest.
Real-world link: Taoism
Yes, like any of Eve's races and bloodlines, the Achura's religious background has a real-world antecedent, and Taoism seems to be it. For those of you unfamiliar with Taoism, think Zen Buddhism without the Buddha. Zen is actually descended from a fusion of Buddhist and Taoist principles. Points of contact:
- The Tao. Belief in a universal ... well, consciousness may be taking it a little far, but that's certainly one way of looking at it. The Tao is, quite simply, the order to everything. Absolutely, utterly, completely everything, and a person who could derive inspiration from the Tao would be a magical person indeed.
- Philosophical lack of interest in material wealth (I emphasize the "philosophical" because the Chinese, whose philosophy Taoism primarily is, often don't seem that Achur-ish in their material outlook. Capitalism, wee-ha!).
- "Disorganized" religion (it's actually hard to say how many Taoists there are in the world for this very reason)
- Monks' interest in self-perfection. With the body and mind in unity, the Tao (or whatever we're calling it) can be more readily perceived, and the "self" released, the result being "wu wei." As a note, Chinese stories are packed with Taoist monks doing all kinds of strange and magical things through their elevated understanding of the universe (which not infrequently end up getting them executed for witchcraft. "Enlightened," apparently, does not equal "good")
- Layered truth. What kind of religion has room for BOTH a "universal consciousness" and a single creator god who apparently had, at least at some point, enough physical presence to leave a rod lying around? The kind that doesn't consider different versions of the truth mutually exclusive. This is actually a hallmark of Asian religions thought, even at the "folk religion" level; "your" faith, whatever it may be, does not necessarily deny the validity of mine. The argument, if there is one, is likely to be over whose vision of reality is the higher one-- that is, is Buddha an aspect of the Tao, or is the Tao a part of Samsara, the world of suffering Buddha has escaped from?
For a good, comedic example of this last, see Monkey. The main character's initial spiritual training is Taoist, and he uses it to get up to all sorts of mischief, including stealing the Jade Emperor's peaches and swallowing all Lao Tzu's immortality pills before going off on a quest for the (supreme, in this story) Buddha.
The immortality pill, by the way, is a religious horror of the sort that demonstrates that Eastern religion is far from immune to weird offshoots. It goes like this: Immortality is achieved through yin, positive energy; yin is red; cinnabar is red; cinnabar is yin; therefore, immortality is reached through a pill of cinnabar, only cinnabar is mercury....
[cont'd]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 02:27:00 -
[4]
Edited by: Aria Jenneth on 04/09/2008 02:28:25
Consequences
So, send a few Taoist Chinese to Tibet for twenty thousand years, and what comes out might look a good deal like the Achura. However, this is Eve-- hence, not only ridiculously far in the future but on the far side of at least one complete collapse of civilization, and probably more. We have to be careful when assuming that anything from good old Earth made it this far (significance of obscure Angelic lore and such notwithstanding), so I'll be avoiding the use of Taoist symbolism or terminology unless they already exist in the Eve universe.
I know I saw a yin and yang-- you know, the intertwined black and white teardrops. If someone would be so kind as to point me to one in a canonical location, I'd be much obliged.
Accepting Taoism as our model, a couple of interesting twists immediately follow from this. I'll deal here with the one that'll affect the structure of everything I write from here on out.
A core concept of Taoism and similar faiths is that you and I are not "real," at all, but only aspects of the Tao-- suits, if you will, that the universe wears to walk around in. This is a hard concept to properly wrap your brain around, and it's probably not much easier for most Achura than it is for you and me. The proof? It was no easier for the Chinese. Enter "folk religion."
Folk religion is what you get when you take a bunch of concepts that are easy to talk about but hard to understand, add a heavy sprinkling of superstition, stir, and sprinkle with bacon bits. Monkey, again, provides a handy example: Monkey's name in religion is "Aware of Vacuity," but there's little sign in the novel that he's any more aware of it than the author, which is to say, not very. Instead, the story is a hodge-podge of dragons, spirits, gods, stone monkeys who can ride around on clouds and smack major deities around (okay, just one), and a vision of Buddha-hood that would make Siddhartha bust a gut laughing (and actually bears some resemblance to common portrayals of the Christian heaven).
That's folk religion for you.
The monks and philosophers of the community, if they believe in this stuff at all as opposed to viewing it as metaphorical, will generally consider gods and spirits to merely be further manifestations of the Tao-- other faces of the totality, and thus (relatively) unimportant. It's not that ghosts and demons might not exist; it's that, in the search for true comprehension, their existence or lack thereof is strictly irrelevant.
The universe and its motive force, the Tao, are real (to the extent that something that encompasses both what is real and what is not can itself be real, which will make a little more sense in the context of the next comment); everything else is not. You're an illusion. That's okay; I'm an illusion, too. And the gods, or even God, if there is, for our purposes, such a being, is an illusion as well.
... you can probably see the attraction of folk religion.
From here on out, I will therefore include comments on both "folk" and "philosophical" aspects of what, according to this line of thought, it is to be an Achur.
SO ... let's finally get to the meat of this, shall we?
[cont'd]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Avel Kereka
Amarr
The Aegis Militia
Aegis Militia
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 02:30:00 -
[5]
 Originally by: Aria Jenneth
SO ... let's finally get to the meat of this, shall we?
[cont'd]
 |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 03:23:00 -
[6]
The Search for Truth
From all indication, the Achur approach to reality is a highly inquisitive one. They have a cultural predisposition towards the sciences, recognize invention as a religious (!) act, view the stars as possible sources of wisdom, and seek (or at least the monks seek) perfection of the self through rigorous physical training. The sorts of educations they seek, and the very interesting blend of scientific and spiritual pursuits, often, if the description of Achur women is to be believed, in the same person, speak to an approach to reality that views the sciences and spiritual investigation to be part and parcel of the self-same thing.
The Achura, then, do not merely believe in the Tao, er, the Totality (my term). The Achura want to Understand, and they want it in the worst way.
The universe is a place/thing/entity of fantastic complexity; you're not going to "get it" through but a single angle of attack (completely the wrong word, but oh well). So-- the Stargazers pursue the hidden truths of stars and seek insight from the universe through more arcane means; the Inventors and other scientists seek insight by systematically poking at it until it coughs up its secrets; the Monks seek truth within, the unity of thought with action and the insight arising therefrom (martial awesomeness is just a perk).
These will be the serious seekers, those who spend their lives marinating their brains in the search for insight, and we can assume that most of them (possible exception: Stargazers) subscribe more to the philosophical than the "folk" religion of the Achura.
Of course, the majority of any given civilization is never going to be made up of scientists (not even counting lab assistants), seers, or even monks. Others must have their place, and, in such a deeply spiritual society, their roles must be spiritual as well. But I'll get to that.
Morality
Taoism may be the only religion on the planet to truly and throughly embrace moral relativism.
Simply put, if you are acting in accordance with your role in the universe, you are doing the right thing. If you are setting your will against it and not acting according to your role, you are doing wrongly: your arrogace will cause disruption and dischord, which will harm those around you. The Tao may not have a "plan" for you, as such, but it certainly has a direction-- a role for you to play.
This outlook is inherent in the cosmology; there's no getting out of it if you accept the patterns of the universe as the "ultimate" state of reality. Not only does going against your role violate what you are "supposed" to do, it's inconsiderate of others-- about as bad as you can get in a worldview that doesn't incorporate "good and evil."
Thus, at least in common conception, a farmer who isn't a good fighter is nothing notable, but he'd best do his utmost to be a good farmer. Likewise, a soldier who all of a sudden refuses to kill commits a grave wrong: it's not his place to decide who is to live and who is to die-- he's supposed to kill whoever he's told to. That's his role.
A twist on all of this (central in Taoism and probably present in the Achur faith, if only because few religions can get by without some version of this) is the Taoist obligation to behave with humility, moderation, and compassion. The first keeps you from acting arrogantly (and thus, disruptively); the second keeps your actions in relative balance (extremity is BAD, a cosmological nuance I'll have to cover later. Anybody find that yin/yang?); the third ... well, we're all in this together, right?
So-- if you're a soldier, killing people as ordered is probably fine. If you're a king, however ... Taoism does not seem to love kings; the successful ones usually don't practice humility, moderation, OR compassion. It seems to consider them not so much a necessary as an inevitable evil.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 03:45:00 -
[7]
Social Roles
Given this moral background, it doesn't take too much to realize that the monks don't have a lock on pursuit of perfection-- it's just that their route has the particular benefit of actually increasing one's insight, rather than just "going with the flow" to the best of one's ability.
And "going with the flow" is exactly what most Achura probably spend most of their lives doing-- not just trying to do what is expected, but trying to do it perfectly. Because "fighting the current" has strong negative consequences, both social and personal, it's everyone's responsibility to fulfill whatever role they're given. But it's possible, indeed, desirable, to excel in that role.
A fisherman's role is to be a fisherman-- so he should be the best fisherman he can. A baker should try to be the best baker, a mechanic the best mechanic. Whether it's possible or desirable to be the "best criminal" is a question I'll leave unanswered (my character would say "yes," but she's a bit ... off). A parent should most definitely try to be the best possible parent, which may be a bit of a trick while trying to be the best possible ... whatever else.
Now, probably, most people don't approach all of this with equal vigor; in fact, it's probably a sort of background murmur to most lives-- an ideal to which most people nominally aspire, but routinely and inevitably fall short. And ... this is acceptable. It may result in an extra helping of recrimination when someone messes up, and may result in a certain uniformity, with everyone trying to do X "right," whatever X may happen to be (the reason for this last is that somewhere out there is the archetypal "Right" Gallentean bakery, to which all Gallentean bakeries on Saisio III must aspire. To see this dynamic in action in RL, visit a French bakery in Seoul, Korea-- or Japan, I think, though I've never been there to confirm).
[to be continued after I recharge my brain]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 05:25:00 -
[8]
Gods and Spirits
Achur folk religion most likely puts great stock by these, treating them in much the same way as relgions everywhere treat their deific figures, albeit with the understanding that there is something greater, if less anthropomorphic, beyond.
However, the Achura are, as has been demonstrated, a highly inquisitive people when it comes to the universe around them, so it's actually quite possible that the worship of such deities as The Creator is in decline as scientific exploration fails, time and time again, to produce any evidence of any such entity (relic aside). The Achura believe in the value of seers, but that's not the same as believing in their accuracy. The Creator, likewise, may be widely valued by educated Achur (and considering how fond they seem of education, that's probably a lot of them) as similarly valuable, but not to be taken overly literally.
... Which is not to say that the theft of the Rod is not a big, big deal. It's a dire insult at absolute minimum, and there are probably still quite a lot of Achur who believe firmly in The Creator's literal existence.
As Caldari
It should be clear by now that the Achura share a great many Caldari traits, such as a traditionalist, collectivist outlook and high regard for family and community. Evidently, up until recently the Achura saw relatively little reason to leave home; the State, apparently, was felt to provide adequate protection.
The Achur belief system, as I've presented it, does not lend itself to ambition, a hallmark of both Deteis and Civire; probably, the Achura are mostly happy to let the ethnic Caldari strive and struggle for success. Within the State, to the degree to which they leave Saisio even now, they most likely tend to content themselves with teaching or scientific pursuits, which do not require them to inflict their wills on others unduly. Leadership would not seem to be a role even to be aspired to: there is a degree of arrogance and a lack of moderation inherent to a leader's role, and the stronger the position, the more severe this state becomes.
This, again, is not to say that some Achura do not aspire to lead, but most will probably have to fight both their spiritual training and "introverted" cultural character to take on such a role. For hopeful megacorporate managers, that starting Charisma of 3 has to smart.
Likewise, at home, most Achura are very likely only too happy to look after their families and their own spiritual lives, leaving the affairs of the State to those whose "role" it is to look after it. They apparently did not stir forth for the first Caldari/Gallente war, despite seceding from the Federation at about the same time as the Caldari. To the extent that the State protects them, they seem willing to allow it to do so.
It's the extent to which it doesn't that seems to have gotten them out of bed, so to speak.
[cont'd, probably tomorrow]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 06:36:00 -
[9]
Thanks Aria, for a very well written write up. I'll add my own thoughts. Sorry for interrupting before you're done (and the lack of structure, I'm a little scatterbrained since its real early)
I'm always shy of over generalising Achurans as a whole, the main reason for that being Saisio is a whole planet. With the cultural and religious diversity of our one planet in the real world it makes little sense to me to paint all Achurans as a single homogenous people. I guess I'm in favour of diversity not only because in my eyes it makes sense among what must be billions of people on Saisio, but it adds scope for diversity in roleplay.
I'd expect there to be striking differences between people of different communities on Saisio. There are real world analogues for this, even if we focus specifically on a single real world culture like that of Japan. Some examples off the top of my head - the fact that there is no homogenous faith in present day Japan. Shinto (The native religion, which isn't really a religion in a western understanding. More a set of different superstitions, and often compared to paganism) , Shingon Buddhism (Imported from China) , and Christianity being the top three, though often people will define themselves as none of the above or confusingly - more than one. To use a quote 'Shinto is for weddings, buddhism is for funerals' - the same person will visit buddhist and shinto shrines for different reasons at different times, and then only because it is a tradition rather than any deep held belief.
Theres also a strong prescence of 'cults' ranging from the benign to cults like the Aum Shinrikyo.
Another example breaking the myth of our analogue, present day Japan, as a homogenous society that I wont delve to far into, is what is regarded as something of a caste system. I think something like this could very easilly exist on Saisio, the existence of a caste of untouchables or social minority like this
Moving on.
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
and actually bears some resemblance to common portrayals of the Christian heaven
This is actually quite common the world over. Paintings depicting 'heaven' or 'hell' are similar in a great many faiths whether there has been contact or not, the 'folk religion' being adopted by the people broadly whereas the philosophical debate is often left to the monks and the clergymen.
Here's a buddhist hell. Look familiar?
To simplify the concept, give the populance at large something to really grab hold of and understand is fairly universal. I decided to go with this myself, and made it a little easier by picking on a shinto theme. Shinto has to be the last word in folk religion - no two shrines are the same, period. It's very regional, very 'folky', and concetrates less on the philisophical and more on the day to day.
For my character, I decided on a kind of latent Shinto background buried under the weight of imported ideas, and consumerism. Perhaps Nicole's grandparents or great-grandparents were strict observers of some form of paganism or folk religion, but in her community, it's in decline. The kids are out in the mall shopping for comic books and hair extensions.
From the description of Achurans, it's apparent that as a people they're certainly undergoing some kind of rapid change or upheaval that is making more of them 'take to the skies' and I wanted to use that. Central beliefs and values in different communities are being subverted by an outside influence (or influences), something that I think would have a very direct affect on the younger generation - especially those now graduating as capsuleers.
This makes me feel that Nicole isn't particularly religious. She has her superstitions, and traditions, but I don't think she'd sit around and meditate like those weird old monks on the holo. Mabe thats a liberty with canon, maybe not. |
Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 06:37:00 -
[10]
When we view our own planet, would it be accurate to generalise and say that us earth men and women are, as a whole, 'exceedingly religious'? Possibly, but not all of us.
Next up:
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
Moral: feed your relatives, especially the dead ones.
Ancestor worship. Theres different forms and it's not something I really explored before but I did adopt this too. I guess it's something I should read and come back before I say much about it, but it does leave lots of room for character diversity I feel.
And:
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
"going with the flow" is exactly what most Achura probably spend most of their lives doing
I certainly agree here. Nicole actually used a ceratin Japanese proverb more than once if memory serves - 'The nail that sticks up gets hammered down', which is something that'd fit the Caldari as a whole I think, not just Achura.
Finally:
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
or Japan, I think, though I've never been there to confirm
Funnily enough - I have, and I think this makes your point on the pursuit of perfection 'perfectly' :). I have never seen cakes made with a set square and laser sights before or since, and it felt almost wrong to actually eat them.
|
|
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 17:38:00 -
[11]
Nicole:
Thank you for your comments!
I think you're probably right about it being dangerous to generalize too much about the Achura as a whole; not only are we talking about an entire planet, but the Achur faith is specifically noted to be not at all what we'd consider an "organized religion." Even if we stick to the Taoist model to exclusion (I tend to; I'll explain why momentarily), that allows for a fantastic variety of differing beliefs, incorporating, as you note, animism, polytheism (ala Shinto, which might also be animistic ... sort of ...) and ancestor worship. Of these, the Creator indicates polytheism to be a definite component. The ancestor worship is just me taking the point that pretty much every traditional culture believes in ghosts and noting that the Taoist folk take on what a ghost would tend to want feeding.
Then again, this requires assuming that the soul derives energy from the attentions of relatives, and there's no reason that folk religion (which ghosts definitely fit into) in particular should be uniform across the whole planet.
I've shied away from tapping Japanese culture and attitudes as a resource for a couple of reasons, though I'll readily admit that Japan-like subcultural pockets may exist on Saisio.
Firstly, the Achur faith seems to focus on a universal "consciousness," effectively the unity of all things. This is Taoist to its core, and Taoism never made it big in Japan, though it did influence the form of Buddhism that did.
Secondly, while The Creator is obviously a widely-accepted Achur deity, if he were the centerpiece of the Achur faith, the faith would most likely be more organized. Nebulous concepts allow for more polymorphism than single figures, as a rule.
Thirdly, aside from The Creator, who (from what little we know) seems to be ... well, just a deity, as opposed to a great leader/teacher/etc., we have no indication of a "central figure" to the Achur faith. That is, there's no indication of an analogous figure to the Buddha. (And see also my commets above about its disorganized nature; Buddhism may only arguably be a "religion," but it's not so disorganized as all that.)
Now, this is open to all manner of exception and compromise; Japan, after all, like most of Asia, seems to be pretty open-minded about the validity of alternate systems of belief, many of which may coexist in a single person. Consequently, it's quite possible that Eve-equivalents of Zen, Shinto, Korean animism, full-on Chinese ancestor worship, and a dozen other faiths all coexist in a merry tangle all across Saisio.
However, because what we know at base of the Achura points so strongly to Taoist-like belief (less nature-oriented and a bit more technocratic, but still Taoist-like), I'd suggest that a focus on the Totality of the universe itself forms the common thread of Achur belief.
This is not to say that I have any quibble with your approach. It's quite likely that some Achura, particularly in major commercial centers around spaceports and the like, have caught the consumerism bug (in which case, the spiritual background becomes a powerful background influence rather than a foreground focus; I'd argue that it's still a powerful presence on a more-or-less subliminal level). However, I'd also argue that this is (relatively) rare, and is probably seen as a problem by older Achura ("Kids these days...."). This is probably even more pronounced in those who live offworld.
The reason I'd suggest it to be rare and slightly aberrant (in the eyes of the elders) is the canonical emphasis on Achur spiritualism. They are, we are told, "intensely spiritual," and mind you these are the capsuleers we're talking about. Considering the amount of time they've been part of the exceedingly materialistic State, this likely bespeaks a strong resistance to materialistic influences (the State megacorps undoubtedly would love to get the Achura buying as merrily as everyone else).
[cont'd]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 17:50:00 -
[12]
Edited by: Aria Jenneth on 04/09/2008 17:51:39
In order for the Achura, then, to have resisted the pressure to consume, they must have had a strong cultural disinclination to embrace consumerism. The most likely form of this is a view that material wealth is fleeting, likely to bring pain, and (I forgot to bring this up earlier; my bad) distracting.
For a deeply spiritual people, this last is bad. You're probably not going to be trying to perfect your role in the scheme of things or trying to perceieve the Totality if you've got a brand new video game to sink your brain into. This might not stop Achura, particularly younger ones, from indulging in a little materialism, but it's likely to generate social pressure (possibly very strong) not to engage in activities or purchase things that act as distractions from the fulfillment of the individual's role in traditional society (the Caldari have a strong respect for tradition, if not for spirituality, by the way, adding another quirk).
In short, for most Achura, getting lost in consumerism is not only sad, but downright unethical, even disgusting, contributing to the degradation of traditional society.
This might actually discourage the megacorps from etting too enthusiastic; this sort of "cultural warfare" is the same accusation the ethnic Caldari tend to level at the Gallente. "LEAVE US ALONE!" is a cry to which the Caldari seem uniquely sensitive.
[I'll continue with further topics as soon as time permits]
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Verone
Gallente
Veto Corp
|
Posted - 2008.09.04 18:33:00 -
[13]
 Impressive stuff...
\o/ EON FICTION WRITER OF THE YEAR! \o/
>>> THE LIFE OF AN OUTLAW <<< |
Garion Avarr
Amarr
Zero Zero Traders
YTMND.
|
Posted - 2008.09.05 00:27:00 -
[14]
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
For hopeful megacorporate managers, that starting Charisma of 3 has to smart.
You're not the only ones . . . for some reason, the Amarr aren't given high charisma scores. I couldn't imagine why, don't all the other races understand how superior we are?
Great stuff as usual, I know CCP hasn't given much info on the third bloodlines, which is one of the favored rants of someone I know. Maybe someone will make him happy by doing something like this for the Vherkior (or he could just do it himself). Of course, even if we do have a lot of PF about some of the main races, there's still a lot we don't know, and I know I'd love something like this about the Amarr.
The part about their being a 'perfect x' was interesting, did you mean that in the sense of a Platonic Form, or that somewhere on Earth (or Sasio, as the case may be) something actually represents it perfectly? |
Myrhial Arkenath
Ghost Festival
|
Posted - 2008.09.05 08:17:00 -
[15]
Thanks for the writeup Aria. I am glad to conclude I've not been too far off with my own rp, but that is perhaps just because Taoism is something in which I can find myself.
On a different but related note, Spirited away is an anime movie I can recommend for people interested in the eastern ghost stories. I randomly picked it up without seeing the connection to that while going through IMDB's top movie list and I am glad I did. It is also one of the few anime movies I've seen where the dub wasn't too bad (couldn't get my hands on a subber version).
Diary of a pod pilot |
Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
|
Posted - 2008.09.05 11:36:00 -
[16]
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
Shinto, which might also be animistic ... sort of
Shinto certainly is animist. Everything has kami From this article here:
Quote:
Shinto teaches that everything contains a kami ("spiritual essence" which is sometimes translated into "god", though perhaps soul or spirit would be more accurate; an even better translation would actually be "The Sacred"). Every rock, every squirrel, every living and nonliving thing contains a kami.
Infact, according to the same article there's even a bit of overlap in that some folk shinto practices come from Taoism and Buddhism in the first place. It's not specific, I expect I'll need to read further on that, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
I did want to address some of your points here, because I don't think they're incompatible with Shinto either.
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
Firstly, the Achur faith seems to focus on a universal "consciousness," effectively the unity of all things.
I found that I could intrepret this along the same lines:
Quote:
Shinto is a collection of rituals and methods meant to mediate the relations of living humans and kami.
A difference in belief perhaps, not that there isn't a universal consciousness, but that the human relationship with it needs some reconciliation.
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
Secondly, while The Creator is obviously a widely-accepted Achur deity, if he were the centerpiece of the Achur faith, the faith would most likely be more organized. Nebulous concepts allow for more polymorphism than single figures, as a rule.
and
Originally by: Aria Jennth
we have no indication of a "central figure" to the Achur faith.
I found something similar:
Quote:
Shinto has no binding set of dogma, no holiest place for worshippers, no person or kami deemed holiest, and no defined set of prayers.
This quote is a little incorrect, there are imporant kami (Amaterasu for a start, who might be seen as something loosely approximating the Achur 'Creator)) but there arent any important people in Shinto. It's not organised in any way, and as a result - very nebulous indeed. There's a strong prescence of polytheism which in some ways I think would be useful to apply to Achur belief since with a strong focus on The Creator the amarrians would likely be landing missions on Saisio every day of the week. (Although...I wonder if they try?)
Off topic, but pretty much all of the central religious figures in Japan are buddhist, like Kobo Daishi (also called Kukai) the man that brought Shingon Buddhsim to Japan. He's often seen as a Christ like figure, tapping his staff to start fresh springs, walking on water, trapping demons and bad kami etc.
Now I do agree - the achura aren't culturally inclined to consumerism, and I agree that wealth and materialism likely isn't the driving force it would be elsewhere in the State. Accepting that causes contradictions, though as someone that has travelled to Asia I'm very happy to cause contradictions, it makes things feel more authentic :)
First, I believe Saisio has rich and poor.
Second, we're capsuleers - all of us were very likely from very wealthy and/or materialist families to begin with. If not, we're certainly very wealthy now. (as an aside, I'm kind of curious what Aria's own take is here, as an Achur and an Angel loyalist. From what I've read about the Angel Cartel, wealth, power, and influence is very much the point)
The canon says that Achurans have little interest in materialism, fair enough. I'd rather interpret this as you've written it - wealth is distracting and furthermore (from Japan again) - money might be considered 'unclean'.
In a japanese shop, bank, or post office when money changes hands you do not pass it from your hand into theirs. Every shop keeper will have a small tray, and the customer places the money in that. |
Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
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Posted - 2008.09.05 11:37:00 -
[17]
Its just good manners really, no body wants to really touch the money since that can be seen as a little crass.
This is actually reflected in the Japanese language also, where money 'kane' is often given the honourific 'o-' to soften in out in speech. I'm not sure what the origin of this attitude to money actually is, its usually described as a tradition.
That's only the start of the contradictions however - there are Achur corporations, money obviously changes hands very readilly whether there is a small tray in the equation or not.
For the same reasons, I'm happy to accept that the traditional quarter of Saisio view consumerism in the younger generation as distasteful. I'm faily confident that Nicole would probably grimace if compared to a Gallentean, but she'd still go out shopping anyway and consumerism would be the last thing on her mind.
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
Considering the amount of time they've been part of the exceedingly materialistic State, this likely bespeaks a strong resistance to materialistic influences
I don't doubt that there is a strong resistance to consumerism, I had thought of this a different way though. The aveage Caldari business trying to set up a Saisio office would face strong cultural barriers, and the CEO would likely be shipped off to an asylum after the first two or three months. Why? The Achurs simply don't understand what on earth the Civire/Deteis are doing, and spend an inordinate amount of time rolling their eyes at them. "Wow, these foriengers are weird.."
Saisio was once a part of the Federation, the same as the rest of the State. For them to have gone so long under the assault of Quafe, Starsi, and the latest series of Splinterz and come through entirely unscathed is I think a little much to hope for. Especially as you've said, in major cities and near spaceports. The sucessful businesses are the ones that manage to convince Achurs that what they're selling was an Achur idea in the first place.
The central problem that the Federation, and now the State have in this regard however - Achurs by and large simply don't understand consumerism.
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Kyoko Sakoda
Caldari
Veto.
Veto Corp
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Posted - 2008.09.05 21:31:00 -
[18]
This is an excellent discussion. |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.06 08:38:00 -
[19]
Nicole:
On the subject of Shinto as a model for Achur beliefs, I'm inclined to take animism more as a compatible "add-on," if you like, than as a model for core Achur beliefs. The reason for this comes down to what lead me to Taoism as a model to begin with: the "universal consciousness."
A "universal consciousness" suggests a single, unifying force to the entire universe-- to absolutely everything. Animism, to the best of my understanding, recognizes that every rock and tree has a spirit, but here's the thing: they're not all the same spirit. The universal consciousness/Tao/Totality/whatever you want to call it would all be a single all-encompassing entity.
That's not, of course, to say that animism and Taoist-style pantheism are incompatible, but they are different at base, and I would argue that the center of the Achur faith, as presented in canon thus far, has at least one arm hooked firmly into the pantheist domain.
Regarding commercialism and Achur culture ... I'm a little puzzled at the notion that the Achura "don't understand" materialism / consumerism. These concepts aren't particularly abstract; in fact, it's their utterly concrete nature that makes me think the Achura would have had some powerful external (likely largely natural) forces at work in their history to develop such a strong resistance. It's not so difficult to tempt someone with a shiny trinket, after all; glorious clutter of various sorts appeals to every magpie-like instinct a human has.
Thus, I'm not sure how the Achura would not understand the ethnic Caldari; I'm sure you're correct that Saisio has its rich and its poor (it's part of the State, after all, and we have no indication that it has its own isolated economic system), but I don't really see how even the poorest of the poor would fail to recognize the appeal of being able to buy nifty stuff, whatever its origin-- unless, that is, there was an active, entrenched cultural barrier (or several) at work.
Regarding Aria's take on all of this, I'd kind of hoped to save that for later, after I'd finished my outline a little more fully, but I'll give a brief sketch, here.
Short version? She's a fine example of a seeker gone astray.
Aria, as a character, is both deeply and traditionally spiritual and profoundly messed up. She's obsessed with intellectual and philosophical accuracy. Her search for the "pilot's path," the "right" way to be a capsuleer, has led her to some very dark places, which she recognizes but refuses to withdraw from, believing that a true seeker must not flinch from truth, no matter how ugly.
To Aria, wealth is a tool in the search for insight, as is, ultimately, everything else, from her ships to her corpmates, and even the Angels themselves. Whether her ideas are valid is a matter I personally withhold judgment on, but I will note that in her zeal for uncovering truth, she's become proud, cold-hearted, and prone to extremes, which puts her out of touch with the Taoist, and likely Achur, values of humility, compassion, and moderation.
She's a good person to talk about spirituality with, but for the mainstream Achur faith, I wouldn't point to her as any kind of role model. She's lunatic fringe, at best. She desperately wants to be wise, but would presently desccribe herself as a "clever fool," and I think that actually about sums it up.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
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Posted - 2008.09.06 14:58:00 -
[20]
Edited by: Nicole Eisenfaust on 06/09/2008 15:02:48
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
That's not, of course, to say that animism and Taoist-style pantheism are incompatible, but they are different at base, and I would argue that the center of the Achur faith, as presented in canon thus far, has at least one arm hooked firmly into the pantheist domain.
I've reviewed the canon again, and the one mention of a universal consciousness I found was in the Inventors ancestry. I still don't see animism as incompatible with the Achura either, especially from a folk-religion stand point.
The philisophical standpoint is different, and thats an important distinction. While there is no doubt some kind of ideal(s) in different communities in terms of how an achur feels they should conduct themself - it is important to allow for the human factor. That human factor being the distance between the spiritual ideal, and the way in which the people will conduct themselves. ( Incidentally, I actually quite like the idea of an inventor grumbling about the stupid kami in his or her workshop that constantly 'get in the way'. Yes - kami can be lent a personality of their own, even mundane ones. It feels a lot less sombre than an inventor with a troubled relationship with a universal consciouness.)
This is why I like a more Shinto background, as it is a set of beliefs that concetrates on the day to day, and less about the philisophical. Why? Well, it suits my character better because she's not a philosopher. She's not inclined to it at all. Infact she's simply very young, more than a little docile, awkward, clumsy but well meaning. She wouldn't presume to know any 'truth', Nicole 'just does research with LDIS'.
In any case - it's certain that both Taoism and Shinto and countless other interpretations could be true of Saisio. Going back to my first point - it is an entire planet. There is no reason why there can't be countless different sects or sets of beliefs on Saisio, and no reason why any interpreted Achur faith can't take on aspects of more than one real world 'template' simultaneously. I find this fits the Asian beliefs that we're discussing very well as unlike western systems - they don't have to be mutually exclusive.
I feel that a lot of the canon is purposefully kept short to nudge us in the general direction rather than map these things out in detail, if only to promote a discussion like this and leave scope for variety. (How much fun would it be if everyone was the same?)
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
I don't really see how even the poorest of the poor would fail to recognize the appeal of being able to buy nifty stuff, whatever its origin-- unless, that is, there was an active, entrenched cultural barrier (or several) at work.
What I was trying to get at, was the contradiction in the people rather than say that the concept of consumerism doesn't exist on Saisio. As I said previously, the money will change hands anyway. Shiny trinkets for all - it's what I see as the average Achur attitude in this regard. I'd imagine they're much less receptive to 'mainstream' consumerism, perhaps viewing the way in which the rest of the Caldari (and especially the Gallente) do business as crass - but then they'd do much the same anyway altering it to fit their own ideas of ettiquette. I feel Achurs wouldn't think of their own consumerism as anything as 'bad' or distasteful as what goes on elsewhere. Contradictory and a bit hypocritical? Certainly, why not?
So in that way - yes. I do think that strong cultural barriers are likely, even if it's only a strong sense of who is on the inside and who is on the outside in Saisio's society - 'us' against 'them'. That is certainly a Caldari trait (As evident with the Mordu's Legion story), and fits well with the previous point you made on the Caldari being the most likely to understand the sentiment 'Leave us alone'. |
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Nicole Eisenfaust
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
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Posted - 2008.09.06 14:59:00 -
[21]
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
- Philosophical lack of interest in material wealth (I emphasize the "philosophical" because the Chinese, whose philosophy Taoism primarily is, often don't seem that Achur-ish in their material outlook. Capitalism, wee-ha!).
This is a good example of what I'm trying to get at - Taoist ideas didn't stop kings, didn't stop the East India trading company selling opium, didn't stop capitalist reforms and so on. Whatever beliefs the Achura hold haven't prevented them from associating first with the Federation, and then leaving to become a part of a militant-capitalist empire led by a body with a great many similarities to the Japanese Zaibatsu .
Shinto ideas, strangely enough, actually encourage 'kings' in a way. Shinto is frequently an instrument of nationalism in Japan, especailly when reading on the Zaibatsu. That to me seems fairly useful and convieniant if modelling a State nationalist character too. I'm unsure if Taoism has ever had any application in this regard, I will certainly take a look though.
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Nicoletta Mithra
Amarr
Aretaic Turn
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Posted - 2008.09.07 06:52:00 -
[22]
Well, first I have to admit that my time permitted me only to gallop through this discussion. I'd like to make some comments regardless.
First Taoism is a a term that really refers to a great variety of philosophical and religious traditions and concepts to the point that it seems to be some more or less arbitrary mishmash at time. The folk Taoism I've come to experience has hardly anything to do with some "universal consciousness" and in many cases doesn't make a difference between the spiritual and and material spheres, especially if the various gods are asked for health and wealth.
What strikes me especially as a point for the "japanese model" and against the "Taoism model" is that the Achura seem to actively strive for perfection, to put effort into it, while Taoism preaches Wu wei (effortless action), having no fixed preconceptions, preferences, intentions, or agenda and in that not striving for being perfect but simply be and in that being perfect, effortlessly.
Also, I wouldn't say that Taoism has something that is even remotly near to a relativistic ethics. I'd rather characterize it as a aretaic or virture ethic, with kindness, simplicity and modesty as its obvious kardinal virtues.
Also the fact that Shintoism incorporates animistic beliefs (as does folk Taoism) doesn't mean that it doesn't allow for a unifying concept of a "universal consciousness". The different kami can be thought of as differentiable parts of a greater whole.
Anyway, given the meek resources that are given to us, and I said this some time earlier in a thread about Amarr, the best thing we can do is in my opinion explore the possible diversity within the outlines of the PF. And within those I don't see a compelling reason to prefer one of the "models" that are discussed here to the other.
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Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.07 08:23:00 -
[23]
Nicole & Nicoletta:
Firstly, let me be clear: what we are discussing is not which is the exclusive shape of the Achur faith. Even the existence of a certain predominant view does not preclude the existence of a great many others, particularly in a culture following the Asian style of non-mutually-exclusive faiths.
Secondly, the search for perfection is far from unique to the Japanese. You'll see it in most of East Asia, in various different forms and with various different backgrounds-- and, correspondingly, the Japanese martial arts, (certainly Kendo) seek effortless action (if you don't believe me, check out Miyamoto Musashi's A Book of Five Rings, which dedicates considerable time to it). Striving is necessary in either case-- one strives, one might say, until striving becomes effortlessness (Asian philosophies seem to have a fondness for this sort of seeming paradox).
Thirdly, folk Taoism (as I was at some pains to discuss), along with folk Buddhism, Zen or otherwise, diverges wildly from the core beliefs associated therewith. Taoism as understood by Chinese farmers is of interest, but I'm looking much more for what the monks and highly-educated persons would discuss and think about-- which, in turn, would strongly influence the philosophies by which the Achura as a people are taught and lead. Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and even can provide some grounding in folklore and legendry, but ultimately it's the "great teachers," such as Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, whose ideas resonate through upper and lower classes alike.
Fourthly, the "universal consciousness" can indeed be broken into a great many smaller entities-- but I'd submit to you that this is inherent to the concepts of Taoism, and that, if Shinto beliefs were to be taken to indicate that all things are manifestations of a single Totality, that principle would be indistinguishable from at least one vision of the Tao. Check it out.
Finally (and I apologize if I'm leaving some aspect of someone's argument unattended to), as much as I'm enjoying this, I'm getting distracted, and need to get back to work. That being the case, I'm going to suspend my own participation in this conversation until I finish hammering things out. I'll be happy to resume once I've finished.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.07 19:14:00 -
[24]
As Distinct from the Caldari
The Achura are citizens of the State, but they are distinct both ethnically and philosophically from the Civire and Deteis. They have different values, different gods, a different homeworld-- really, the primary thing the Achura have in common with the ethnic Caldari is a strong attachment to their own values and their own traditions.
The Caldari State functions well to the degree that the various factions within it, corporate and ethnic, work together for mutual defense and benefit. However, while the Caldari sprawl happily across the stars, the Achura remain comfortably tucked, for the most part on a single world. This will probably breed a certain amount of superior attitude in some Caldari: "We have a glorious interstellar empire. What do you have?"
The Achura, on the other hand, have a culture tuned, in their own minds, to the pulse of the universe. The Caldari may be masters of interstellar travel, but they're outsiders (materialistic, unenlightened outsiders) on Saisio; their presence is bound to be disruptive, and the Achura don't seem to appreciate disruption.
This is bound to result in a certain amount of friction from time to time.
What's more, career-wise, the Achura apparently tend strongly towards certain specific roles: the sciences, notably. Scientists and academics, broadly speaking, didn't get into their work for the money-- and if that's generally true of scientists of any ethnic or cultural background, imagine how strongly that would be true of the Achura.
So, you've got a situation in which an ethnically and philosophically distinct group of materially disinterested but existentially nigh-obsessively inquisitive scientific sorts conducts its research on behalf of a bunch of extremely materially interested corporations (and remember, everything in the State is corporate owned and operated) with ethnically distinct management that does not share the values of the aforementioned scientific staff and may hold it in some small amount of contempt.
There will be a natural tendency in the corporations to feel that Achur scientists are easy marks: give them a modest wage, a contract that gives you exclusive rights to any and all discoveries, and access to all the equipment and supplies they could want to explore some little (profitable) nook of reality, wind them up, and watch them run.
Now, throw in the point that absolutely nobody, materialistic or not, likes being taken advantage of.
Tensions, there will be.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.07 20:11:00 -
[25]
Edited by: Aria Jenneth on 07/09/2008 20:13:33
As Spacefarers
It's only recently that the Achura have taken to space in significant numbers. The protective impulse that drives them following the theft of the Creator's Rod is not much of a mystery; if someone violates the sanctity of your home from above, you're going to start looking for ways to protect yourself from that angle.
That's not the question. The question is what took them so long.
The Achura have been in interstellar contact for at least two centuries, and probably longer. They were part of the Federation before the Caldari/Gallente war, and there's no indication that they were recent additions. Tensions had developed enough for the Achura to risk seceding, bespeaking at least sufficiently extended acquaintance with the Gallente to get to know their warts.
It's particularly interesting that this was not the point at which the Achura took to the stars; having declared independence, it would seem to take a very particular kind of chutzpah to sit on one's homeworld and hope not to get bombed while battles blaze across the stars.
The most probable explanation for this is that the Achura regarded (and may still regard) spaceflight as a morally dubious activity.
The logic would likely run something like this:
1. It is the responsibility of all things to fulfill whatever role they are given.
2. Wilfully stepping outside of this role is arrogance defined and invariably causes more trouble than it is worth.
3. We are oxygen-breathing organisms placed on a ball of matter at the bottom of a gravity well. Some of the gasseous portion of this ball of matter is, conveniently, oxygen. This is where we are born, where we have our families, our friends, our communities, our lives-- and this is where our ancestors lived, where we practice our faith, where we plant and harvest our crops. Harsh compared to other worlds it may be, but it is our home. It is the root of all we are. It is our place.
4. To leave this, our place, and travel across a deadly void in a bubble of atmosphere supported only by human artifice is to abandon our proper place in the scheme of things.
5. No good can come of space travel. We lead better and happier lives because we do not engage in it.
6. ... Only then, somebody busts in through our insufficiently-defended airspace, makes off with one of the most sacred objects on the planet, and makes us all look like a bunch of half-wits.
7. Well. Apparently we went astray somewhere, because harm has certainly come of our rejection of spaceflight. Perhaps we'd better rethink that.
... and so all of a sudden, you've got a bunch of applicants to various academies.
One thing I'm unsure about is how often Achura turn up as crew aboard conventional vessels. Here's the thing: there's no indication of a Saisio-specific conventional defense force, and, unless the Achura have contracted with Sukuuvestaa (which owns the station orbiting Saisio III) to put such a force in place, it seems unlikely that such a force, distinct from the Caldari naval forces, exists, what with the lack of stations belonging to them.
Capsuleers, in theory if not in practice, would seem to appeal to Achur philosophy: if you wish to seek perfection OR "effortless action" in spaceflight, capsuleer training, which allows the ship to be controlled much as a capsuleer would control her own body, would be so-very-much the way to go. What's more, even a few loyal Achur capsuleers would add immensely to the effectiveness of Saisio's defenses.
Now, of course, if this was supposed to be the course planned for Saisio's defense, the planetside leaders may be a touch frustrated at just how few young Achur capsuleers have chosen to make Saisio their focus. So maybe they have some other project under way after all. Things to think on.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Dex Nederland
Caldari
Lai Dai Infinity Systems
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Posted - 2008.09.08 04:33:00 -
[26]
Not to detract from your discussion, but on the relation with the Caldari I think you are taking the worst aspects of the corporate culture.
Those Achura joining "good" corporations can be part of a selfless group of people working for the benefit of the whole. That they bring focus to scientific endeavors and are willing to sacrifice individual award to achieve that goal is of benefit to the corporation and meshes well with the Caldari idea of whole success over individual.
 Founder Heiian Society |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.08 14:16:00 -
[27]
Dex:
That's true. However, it's been demonstrated that corporate greed isn't exactly a rare problem-- Heth's rise to power was largely fueled by public discontent with self-concerned corporations.
Corporate structures have this fun tendency to sink to (or almost to) the lowest common moral denominator. It can be avoided, and Caldari corporate culture may see lasting improvements under Heth, but we haven't yet seen to what degree that's actually the case.
I am by no means saying that the Achura are universally exploited and abused; what I'm saying is that the relationship seems to lend itself to a certain amount of abuse, and that, where such abuse actually exists, it will raise ethnic tensions.
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
Akikio Lankinen
Yurai-Tenshin Zaibatsu
Celestial Imperative
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Posted - 2008.09.08 16:15:00 -
[28]
Originally by: Aria Jenneth
The Achura have been in interstellar contact for at least two centuries, and probably longer. They were part of the Federation before the Caldari/Gallente war, and there's no indication that they were recent additions.
The first sentence in Achura description:
"Achura has been part of the Caldari State for three centuries, joining and leaving the Federation at the same time as the State."
It raises a lot of questions that I feel we in the Zaibatsu have not found good answeres to. What kind of State was this pre-Fed State? Why did the Achura join it? Or maybe they didn't really join it of free will but were considered as property of the Caldari corporation(s) that found them? For example Suvee that have their HQ in Saisio and a large presence in the nearby area and is the largest real estate dealer, owning about 40% of all land in State... But then again the Achura chose to stay with the Caldari when they left the Federation so they must feel some kind of connection?
A smal piece of Achura PF dropped in the news article about the Kitsune E-war frigate:
"During a lighter moment of the shipÆs introduction Ishanoya informed the reporters and pod pilots present that the name of the ship, Kitsune, comes from Achura folklore and refers to a mythical serpent. ôAchura stories depict them as intelligent beings, as possessing magical abilities, and as employing these abilities to trick others." "
Also a mission drops some Achura PF:
Kiken Yuatakkeimo
Caldari Navy
Level 1, QL -7
Caldari Navy Assembly Plant, Kamokor
The Achuran White Song bird has been sacred to the Achura throughout their recorded history. The creature mates only in the mountains of Saisio III, and naturally is exceedingly rare. Recently, the remnants of the old Achuran government made a gift of two such birds to the State, a male and a female. These particular birds are quite special, in that they have been genetically modified to mate off-planet. This is a matter of tremendous importance for us, from both a diplomatic and an ecological standpoint.
Twelve hours ago, the birds were stolen. Gallentean eco-terrorists hijacked the diplomatic courier mid-transit. Now, I don't think anyone ever needs an excuse to gun for the Gallente, but these guys are more worthless than the Federation Navy. The terrorists were last spotted at Kamokor. It's likely they are using a series of acceleration gates to hide the true location of their base. You'll have to approach and activate each acceleration gate you find to progress further to the terrorists' base. Track down the terrorists, and recover the White Song birds.
Hook up to Celestial Imperative com-sat |
Aria Jenneth
Caldari
Ghost Festival
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Posted - 2008.09.08 16:30:00 -
[29]
Lovely stuff, Akikio! If you come upon anything else, I'll be delighted to see if I can add it to the mix.
About that "three centuries" thing, however ...
I knew about that, and had discarded it despite its apparently authoritative nature because the dates don't match up.
According to the Caldari timeline:
23155 - the Gallente-Caldari War starts
23341 - current date (we've advanced a few years, of course)
Total time the Caldari State has existed, per timeline: 186 years.
Probably up to a little over 190, now (I forget the in-game year).
Most PF seems to follow this timeline; the Achura description doesn't.
... Perhaps they meant to say that Saisio has been a part of either the State or Federation for 300 years?
Ghost Festival is recruiting! |
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