The Lonely Galaxy Megathread (comments encouraged)

[Visions1]

Theif is completely right.
I was very moved by this. Bravo.

---

I imagine that since these are anti-establishment characters, the partisans have their own versions of the story.

[lurker]

I imagine that since these are anti-establishment characters

That's a fair description, although the Pious Dissolutionists don't describe themselves that way. In their mind they're traditionalists trying to get the faith back on track, renewing from within rather than breaking away. Spiritual laxity and Acedia is rampant among the mainstream clergy alongside their excessive pecuniary interests.

I should also note that, while I've made it sound like serfs are chattel, at least on paper they still have legal rights and such, but at least on Yih they might as well be. For instance, the transaction that Seabreeze describes is probably framed as a "transfer fee" where the farspeakers on Hearthside take on the rest of Littlepaw's debt. LIttlepaw now has to pay back the farspeakers rather than his original lighthouse. The upshot for Littlepaw besides being treated like a person is that instead of being an unskilled page he can now gain transferable skills as a farspeaker.

[lurker]

Saint Aurora's Draft is a drink made by drying, crushing, and brewing the seeds of a certain bush. This concoction is nigh undrinkably bitter, even given the yinrih's feeble gustatory system. It is both a diuretic and an aperient, in addition to causing heartburn.

Its only virtue is that it is a stimulant. Unlike certain Terran beverages to which it is often compared, the draft is only consumed by students on exam days in order to improve concentration, albeit at the cost of frequent trips to the restroom. Though it is singularly acerbic, it s seldom consumed with sweeteners or creams to make it more palatable, as drinking it unadorned is said to bring good luck.

In spite of being a psychoactive substance, it is not a drug of abuse, since the negative side-effects are far more potent and long lasting than the mild boost in concentration it offers.

While the drink is named after the patroness of seminarians and students, she had nothing to do with the drink, its invention having predated her by some millennia, only gaining the appellation some time after her death and canonization.

[Visions1]

I imagine after contact, they went for coffee and tea and other stimulants?
(Not going to say hot chocolate because, well, y'know - but other earth ones too aside from these three.)

And what do they think of our sodas?

[lurker]

I imagine after contact, they went for coffee and tea and other stimulants?
(Not going to say hot chocolate because, well, y'know - but other earth ones too aside from these three.)

And what do they think of our sodas?

I'm assuming you're alluding to chocolate being poisonous to dogs. Caffeine is even worse for them than the theobromine in chocolate, IIRC. Yinrih can eat chocolate no problem, and caffeine isn't an issue, either.

Not only do they enjoy Terran soda, but I imagine they've independently come up with carbonated drinks of their own, since most of the pleasure of eating for them comes from texture and temperature rather than taste. They probably love the fizzy sensation on their tongue.

[Khemehekis]

It is both a diuretic and an aperient, in addition to causing heartburn.

Learned a new word today.

[Visions1]

Is there anything humans eat/drink that is unsafe for Yinrih (or at least a common allergen)?

[lurker]

Is there anything humans eat/drink that is unsafe for Yinrih (or at least a common allergen)?

You know, I'm not sure.

[lurker]

I've been cackling to myself for the last half hour because it just occurred to me that Aurora is the perfect name for a yinrih. It really does sound like a yinrih could almost pronounce it-- "AU-RO-RA".

[lurker]

I'm leaning toward "anchorite/anchoress" as a title for master farspeakers. The etymology of the word fits them really well, as they have a reputation for secluding themselves in tiny windowless rooms, the walls only lit by the glow of a terminal screen, monitoring their little section of the noosphere.

[lurker]

Yinrih often wear a pocketed band around the right foreleg that serves as a wallet and coin purse. They're fairly easy to pickpocket in a crowd, as it's trivial to slip a paw into one of the pockets while walking by, and most pockets are sealed with magnetic latches that are quick to open and close with a single paw. Zippers or snaps may also be used, and those are harder to operate without the victim knowing, but are more fiddly to use with the single paw available to the wearer.

Thieves with more resources may use repurposed sport micro mechs to slip into a pocket and grab a few things without even being present.

[Visions1]

You know, this is probably a good time to ask about what other "utility garments" (though I know it's been addressed already). What about sunhats? Hearing aids? Casts (I'm thinking tails in particular)? Parkas? Diapers? SCUBA?

Also, what is Yinrih agriculture like?

Also, I feel ready to start work on the art I owe you. And Theif - you too! Expect it in a few days.

[lurker]

You know, this is probably a good time to ask about what other "utility garments" (though I know it's been addressed already). What about sunhats? Hearing aids? Casts (I'm thinking tails in particular)? Parkas? Diapers? SCUBA?

Also, what is Yinrih agriculture like?

Also, I feel ready to start work on the art I owe you. And Theif - you too! Expect it in a few days.

Teams of yinrih pull plows behind them, since they're their own draft animals. It probably takes quite a few yinrih to till a field compared to an ox. (IDK I'm no expert on pre-industrial farming).

I've made such a fuss about ear holes in hats that I feel like I need to draw out some hat concepts. Healers cloaks being foremost on my mind. That will have to wait until I'm not running on an hour of sleep.

But pockets are my next area of study, hence why I did the wallet. Backpacks are fairly straightforward, the only wrinkle being that they open from behind since the wearer uses their tail to access the contents of the pack. Other pocketed garments include vests (what I'm calling a piece of cloth that's strapped to the chest, with forward-facing pockets accessed by the forepaws.) There are also saddlebag-like packs with storage on the wearer's left and right side. Slightly more theft-proof pouches that are strapped to the underbelly. Basically whole shirts that combine all of this together.

But like I said, I'm running on fumes thanks to the lack of A/C. The air inside is above 90% humidity and the temp is in the 80s (Freedom Units, 'MURICA!) I’m definitely a caudally challenged sweat factory right now.

The local power company has been doing some serious over promising and under delivering, so I suspect we won't have power back for at least a week, and more like two. That's how long it took after Ike. On the plus side, We're borrowing a generator and I'm able to get back on my main computer. Still no access to my conlang or worldbuilding notes, as those are on a NAS in a rack in the office.

[Visions1]

I think the plow idea isn't so bad (humans have done that from time to time), assuming they want expedited fields.
I realize the main question, though, would be what they ate. Once we know that, then farming techniques will be easier.

I assume steadtrees were commonly grown. (If it is of any interest, fig trees were among the first, if not the first, plants domesticated by humans, due to ease in propagation - and this happened in the Middle East. Gives a lot of meaning to Genesis 2.)

As well, regardless of all this, I hope your situation improves. I should've said it before; I realize I haven't.
L sjHqN PMrCbHG, sFsFqn.

[lurker]

Code: Select all

L sjHqN PMr-CbHG, sFsFqn.

OPT sky-2M content-cause_to_become-event friend-2

Did you perhaps mean

Code: Select all

L   sjH-qN PMrCb-b sFsF-qn
OPT sky-2M calm-NA friend-2

Which would mean something like "May the sky calm you down, friend".

In any case, always an honor for someone to speak the language, and it helps me get the dents out.

The optative mood uses the nonauthoritative form of the verb, and the comma (or inflection/pause in speech) would only be used if the noun phrase is a vocative rather than the agent/patient.

Code: Select all

Ln rCFqb sjsjqn
Ln   0    rCFq-b sjsj-qn
HORT [we] eat-NA mom-2
"Let's eat mom"

Ln rCFqb, sjsj-qn
HORT [we] eat-NA mom-2
"Let's eat, mom"

Ln   sjsj-qn rCFq-b
HORT mom-2   eat-NA
"Mom, I encourage you to eat."

I think you may have given me an idea on how I can incorporate clusivity... I may revert to using <h> as a plural marker.

The good news is that the buildings across from our neighborhood have regained power. They must have paid their tithe. I think it's the smell I'm getting sick of: sweaty clothes, damp air, a fridge recently emptied of rotten food, unwashed dishes. And there's a weird guilty feeling I always get during prolonged power outages. "Your ancestors survived just fine without electricity, so why are you complaining?"

[Visions1]

I was thinking "May your sky be calm, friend."

[lurker]

I was thinking "May your sky be calm, friend."

I like that! That's going to be a Welkinsteader farewell.

Although PMr and PMrCb refer to an emotional state and not an environmental state. There will be a separate word that means placid or clement that refers specifically to air or water.

The good news is that the power is back, for now. I finally paid my tithe. I can resume living like a lazy American!

There's lots of clean-up to do. We have extension cords strewn around the house coming from the generator. We also have to actually buy some stuff for future disasters, stuff we've always had on our radar but kept putting off. Specifically, we need a generator of our own, that works on natural gas as well as gasoline. We also need a few portable air conditioners and I think I need to get a GMRS license so the family can keep in touch via 2 way radio. The first thing to go even before the disaster happens is the cell coverage, as people are frantically trying to call out. It usually gets congested about 24 hours out from whenever the storm is predicted to make landfall.

[lurker]

Maybe yinrih draw humans like this just like we draw animals with human characteristics.

[lurker]

Here's a healer's micro mech.

The device above the mech is a biopsy capsule. They're stored on the mech's back in those pods, and expand outward into a ring. Starched over the ring is an elastic polymer that engulfs the mass or tumor or polyp or whatever the healer needs to extract, and can re-attach to the back once collected. The mech's muzzle has whiskers that translate tactile information to a helmet worn by the healer, and there are also olfactory relays on the tip of the mech's snout. Healer's micro mechs can range in size from smaller than a blood cell to the size of a small pill. Other features of healer's micro mechs include laser scalpels allowing for the excising of samples and force projectors allowing vertical and aerial mobility. Although originally invented for medical purposes, micro mechs quickly found use in espionage, as they allow the operator to be a fly on the wall, as it were.

Counter-intelligence strategies had to be developed to combat micro mech spies, how to detect, chase, and catch these Lilliputian saboteurs. These detection and catching methods developed into micro mech sports, where micro mech pilots compete to outrun an opponent on foot, while the unarmored yinrih attempts to neutralize his smaller quarry. A variant where the mech pilots try to touch the wet part of their opponent's nose is where EXTREME snoot booping comes from. While a popular spectator sport, it's not very thrilling when viewed from the on-foot participant's perspective, since it looks like someone chasing and squashing a troublesome insect. But when viewed from the mech pilot's perspective, it becomes a Dark-Souls-esque boss battle.

Micro mechs used in sports are much larger than the ones used by healers, being about the size of a thumb. Sport mechs are themselves repurposed by enterprising pickpockets. Healers can and do often operate on themselves using micro mechs. Although the olfactory relays make colonoscopies rather unpleasant.

[Visions1]

Mech would probably be a great way to noodge people, steal stuff, or poison an entire army.
Also, can't they turn off the smell?