Discuss the Arvonians
An Arvonian figher squadron leader.
From the Artemis Manual:
The Arvonians are a humanoid race most remarkable for their chameleon-like skin pigmentation. They prefer to run curving patterns of very bright colors across their faces, giving them a dazzling appearance that most humans find attractive. Arvonian males and females have the same slender build. Their culture is matriarchal, so their space ship captains and fighter squadron leaders are often women.
The Arvonian people regard their Royal Family fondly. A century ago the Arvonian race was united under the benevolent rule of Queen Sansha. As their culture spread to the stars governing became too complex for Sansha, so she decreed the construction of a super-intelligent master computer to assist her. That computer, whose name translates to “The Supreme Understander,” now runs the entire Arvonian government, deciding everything from war strategies to parking tickets.
Most humans think of Arvonian society as a computer-controlled dystopia, yet the Arvonians adore The Supreme Understander. In fact, they revere all computers and refuse to put them in danger. Whenever a TSN torpedo or Torgoth drone is fired Arvonians weep for the weapon’s onboard computer callously sent on a one-way mission. Thus the Arvonians use manned fighters instead of automated missiles.
Arvonians also love space whales. If they see you harm a space whale the Arvonians will fight to the death rather than allow you to live.
A Royal Palace where Arvonians may get an audience with the Royal Family. Arvonians may also come to a palace for ceremonial dealings with The Supreme Undersander, but for routine business they may communicate with The Supreme Understander in the privacy of their own homes.
Here is why the Arvonians are humanoid:
From Horatio Hornblower to Mata Hari to Howard Hughes's "Hell's Angels," some of the greatest tales of military derring-do involve seducing, infiltrating, stealing from, falling in love with, posing as, or selling out to the enemy. The Artemis universe deserves to have such adventures. Some day your crew might be called upon to deliver a human infiltrator behind enemy lines to steal an Arvonian fighter and fly it home. At the same time, you never know when an Arvonian spy might sneak aboard your ship to steal military secrets, sabotage your weapons, or worse . . .
[Last edited Apr 07, 2013 05:16:53]
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
The description says that they have chameleon-like skin pigmentation; are Arvonians actually able to change their skin colors, and if so, is the process something automatic to them, something that has to be trained, or something that is unconsciously triggered as a response to an immediate threat?
Originally the Arvonian color change was automatic, a natural defensive adaptation, and the only colors available were what we would call "Earth tones." But with modern technology the Arvonians have developed cosmetic drugs which allow virtually any color. Their pigment can get into the untra-violet range invisible to humans. The Arvonian fashion throughout the Artemis timeline favors bright, vivid colors.
Arvonians can willfully control their color changes, though the speed, color range, and fineness of detail is limited by the cosmetic pharmeceuticals avalable. At the time of first contact with humans an Arvonian might have two colors across his/her body and change those colors once or twice a day. By the time of the War of Hegemony an Arvonian might display dozens of colors ar the same time, changing them at will in five minutes or less. Of course to do it tastefully an Arvonian will have studied one or more of the schools of dermal arts. Just as a human may master a style of martial arts, an Arvonian may master a style of dermal arts.
Arvonians can willfully control their color changes, though the speed, color range, and fineness of detail is limited by the cosmetic pharmeceuticals avalable. At the time of first contact with humans an Arvonian might have two colors across his/her body and change those colors once or twice a day. By the time of the War of Hegemony an Arvonian might display dozens of colors ar the same time, changing them at will in five minutes or less. Of course to do it tastefully an Arvonian will have studied one or more of the schools of dermal arts. Just as a human may master a style of martial arts, an Arvonian may master a style of dermal arts.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
There are many schools of Arvonian dermal arts, most of which are ancient. But the newest school of dermal arts is called "huma-nito" (translation: look like a human). A practitioner of huma-nito can make his/her skin appear as any of the various human racial pigments. Such an Arvonian can change from appearing Asian to black to Native American. A master of huma-nito can make this switch in just a few minutes.
From a human perspective this makes Arvonians masters of disguise.
From a human perspective this makes Arvonians masters of disguise.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
I guess it would be safe to assume that the nito that allows one to be stealthy (blend into walls or whatever) would have a similarly adaptive uniform as well?
Tre, stealth adaptive clothing technology would be just as available to any race. It would work differently from Arvonian pigmentation, since the same point on a garment must show a different color in each direction from which it might be observed.
A naked Arvonian could do a pretty good job of blending into almost any scenery. He/she would be camouflaged but would not be invisible. And these tricks are all visual. A TSN officer with scientific equipment could spot an Arvonian's life signs. Close scrutiny can distinguish Arvonian body temperature, metabolic rate, bone density, etc. from that of humans. These are difficult but not impossible to mask using technology.
A naked Arvonian could do a pretty good job of blending into almost any scenery. He/she would be camouflaged but would not be invisible. And these tricks are all visual. A TSN officer with scientific equipment could spot an Arvonian's life signs. Close scrutiny can distinguish Arvonian body temperature, metabolic rate, bone density, etc. from that of humans. These are difficult but not impossible to mask using technology.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
You mentioned their ability to change pigment from what I'm guessing is Chinese Asian(not Indian Asian) to African. How does this change effect their facial configuration?
Infiltrators would only get away with saying they were of mixed parentage for so long until one was finally discovered and then suspicion and paranoid people would be questioning anyone.
Infiltrators would only get away with saying they were of mixed parentage for so long until one was finally discovered and then suspicion and paranoid people would be questioning anyone.
Taigia, the pigment change does not affect their facial configuration. All Arvonians have very smooth skin with very tiny pores, but with practice they can appear to be a human with large pores. An Arvonian can use pigmentation to give a hint of a wrinkle, dimple or even a moustache, but it would not be a real wrinkle, dimple or moustache and would not stand up to close observation. Just about any look a human could achieve by painting on makeup an Arvonian can achieve through pigmentation.
Arvonians cannot change the shapes of their faces any more than a human can. So an Arvonian with a round face can only appear to be a human with a round face. An Arvonian with a jutting chin can only appear to be a human with a jutting chin.
Arvonians cannot change the shapes of their faces any more than a human can. So an Arvonian with a round face can only appear to be a human with a round face. An Arvonian with a jutting chin can only appear to be a human with a jutting chin.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
some of the greatest tales of military derring-do involve seducing, infiltrating, stealing from, falling in love with, posing as, or selling out to the enemy
Does this happen in such a way that it would be a worthy plot point?
Like having to hunt down and kill a valuable asset that has turned to keep Arvonians from getting important terran technology and tactics?
Or the reverse of having to smuggle a defector out of Arvonian space?
A naked Arvonian could do a pretty good job of blending into almost any scenery. He/she would be camouflaged but would not be invisible.
Mike, while I appreciate your attempt to introduce naked Arvonians into a potential cosplay environment, I honestly don't think we're there yet.
Does this happen in such a way that it would be a worthy plot point?
See: A dozen Greek myths, Mata Hari, Any number of the dozens of people who smuggled Jews out of Nazi Germany, basically every 'evil' Bond girl, the stories of almost every undercover cop, chase scenes in games where you need to recover something stolen, there's a Star Trek TNG episode where Troi has to smuggle Romulan sympathisers out of Romulan space while disguised as a Tal' Shiar...
The list goes on and on..
The list goes on and on..
I was personally thinking of the cold war stories. Getting people out of West Germany.
The answer is yes to all of you. It creates the potential for plot points in both prose stories and interactive stories.
An Arvonian spy might be in your crew stealing critical information.
An Arvonian saboteur might be aboard your ship wrecking critical systems.
An Arvonian turncoat might escape aboard your ship to help you with critical information.
An Arvonian might come aboard your ship undisguised for the purpose of seducing a crew member into giving away secrets.
Of course the inverse of any of these might happen. A human could board an Arvonian ship, either with or without a disguise, attempting to steal, sabotage, assist, or seduce the Arvonians.
An Arvonian spy might be in your crew stealing critical information.
An Arvonian saboteur might be aboard your ship wrecking critical systems.
An Arvonian turncoat might escape aboard your ship to help you with critical information.
An Arvonian might come aboard your ship undisguised for the purpose of seducing a crew member into giving away secrets.
Of course the inverse of any of these might happen. A human could board an Arvonian ship, either with or without a disguise, attempting to steal, sabotage, assist, or seduce the Arvonians.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
Well, my plan is to make every new crew member delete the ship's AI when they board.
If you are talking about doing that to Arvonian vessels then you're out of luck. They have no A.I.
And humans are nothing but redundant went it comes to our computers. I'm sure deleting an A.I. will only be annoying, the corrupting the O.S of a user that regularly backs up their machine. Just reinstall.
And humans are nothing but redundant went it comes to our computers. I'm sure deleting an A.I. will only be annoying, the corrupting the O.S of a user that regularly backs up their machine. Just reinstall.
Tre, you have a brilliant strategy! That could make a great story!
Of course once word got out about your policy, Arvonian spies would select a different ship to infiltrate . . .
Of course once word got out about your policy, Arvonian spies would select a different ship to infiltrate . . .
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton!"
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
(Likely actual words of Admiral David Farragut, USN, at the battle of Mobile Bay. Four bells was the signal for the engine room to make full steam ahead).
Login below to reply:
